Amik Smallwood on preserving Native languages

[TheZunigal]

I guess my question is.. Are Ojibway such as myself part of a clan if our fathers are non-Ojibway?

[TheZunigal]

Does anybody here know how clanship is established if our fathers are non-native. I'm a Mille Lacs Band member too from my mother.

If anybody knows, I would appreciate it. MiiGwitch

[BirdValiant]

(V) Realistically, I don't think that most people would want to be involved in such a movement -- because it's hard, and because native languages lack prestige. That doesn't make it impossible, though. If the resources are available and it becomes even vaguely popular, then there may just be people out there who would say A: "Hey, how about we learn Ojibwe?" B: "What? Why?" A: "Because it's cool, I dunno." B: "Uhh, ok. We should form a study group or something."

Sorry for the rambling, guys.

[BirdValiant]

(IV) Thus language revival and death is a pretty sticky subject. However, because languages hold so much cultural information and history, it would be a terrible shame to let languages die. Programs like this are essential for such maintenance. Probably, the only way that endangered languages can grow beyond little pockets of archived cultural knowledge would be if there were a grassroots movement among the general public to learn these languages and use them on a daily basis.

[BirdValiant]

(III) I think that the moral, but difficult, thing to do is to learn the language of the people living in the place into which one immigrates. By extension, this would mean that the native languages of all America (North and South) should be learned by all who live there. To do otherwise would perpetuate linguicide.

On the other hand, language shift is fairly natural, and to try and reverse it can be seen as being very unrealistic and coercive. There is a backlash against learning Irish, for ex.

[BirdValiant]

(II) I think that the ideal, but quixotic, situation for languages in general would be a world population of at least bilingual people: the first language would be the local one spoken historically in a specific region, and the second language would be a world language. English appears to be heading in the direction of the latter. It does have the advantage of being very good at borrowing from other languages and has a simple grammar.

[BirdValiant]

I've long wanted to learn a native American language. The original language around Madison was once Menominee/Ho-Chunk, but I think that it'd be basically impossible to learn casually, especially for a non-native like me.

Ojibwe seems doable, though. UW even has classes.

Coincidentally, the language of my actual ancestors, Irish, is also practically endangered, but not to the same extent. Both are part of once wide-spread language families that were beaten down for centuries.

[interstellarwonder]

@BirdValiant Menominee and Ojibwe are related languages ,many words are basically the same. Ho-chunk is related to Iowa and Dakota.

[Antoniaa18]

Thats My Grandpa!!

=D

My Ole Papz!!

[JeremiahK652]

GOOD INTERVIEW LARRY NICE WORK

[trinitymike]

"Everybody knows english is the least expressive language"

Says who????? Learn something about linguistics before you comment on them, please....

[walkingbear56]

Everybody knows english is the least expressive language... native languages are "concept" languages... and the loss of the tradition is a sad reflection on yet another way of assimilating a race of people to become "white".

We have lost much already, and it shows upon the earth.... we cannot lose more.

[skywoman14]

our*

[skywoman14]

As a young native american woman, Im still learning the language. I think that learning our ways and culture the way out ancestors had lived is important. Im all for preserving our cultures, learning the ways of our ancestors and elders We have to get back on that red road our ancestors had once walked way back when.

We need to be connected back to our cultures. We need to be independant and we MUST Preserve our culture before we all disappear.

miigwech