First Speakers: Language & Culture Loss

http://www.tpt.org/firstspeakers Author, Anton Treuer shares his personal concerns about language and culture loss. Additional footage from "First Speakers: Restoring the Ojibwe Language," produced by Twin Cities Public Television with support from the Minnesota Legacy Fund.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• native american
• ojibwe
• lost languages
• heritage
• language
• reservation
• culture
• research

[wovokanarchy]

@inverhillsphilo I guess what I am saying is that there is no one absolute criteria for Indian identity. A lot of factors are involved in one's nationality to Indigenousness, which include language, DNA, community recognition, historical ties, etc. Start removing each one from an individual and you have complete assimilation of a person. One criteria doesn't take precendence over the other is what I'm saying.

[inverhillsphilo]

@wovokanarchy this does not address the issue, in fact, according to your own logic your account would have no value. not sure why you are attempting to muddy the waters? what is your point, or do you have one?

[wovokanarchy]

@inverhillsphilo Nothing. Actually the word "culture'' was used to oppress, colonize, and steal Indigneous land throughout the world. Indians were believed not to have a culture due to the idea that Indians were ''hunters and gatherers, and not ''agriculturalist'' or ''hortiCULTRAlist. Culture is evolving and transparent therefore anyone can subscribe to any ''culture'' in the world. In fact one can argue culture is an abstraction and entirely man made so therefore meaningless and of no value.

[inverhillsphilo]

@wovokanarchy yes, it does. in fact, many argue simply having blood means nothing. some tribes have argued that if one is 100% blood but grew up on NYC, for example, then they are NOT a member of the tribe. I agree, so the question would be back on you, what does blood have to do with culture?

[hapeta24]

True. 

[wovokanarchy]

@hapeta24Agreed understandn is one aspect of culture one must have the ability to understand or speak a language.But if a person who was born,raised,and still lives on a rez who is a dark skinned full blood who doesn't speak the langauge experiences every day the trials and tribulations of living in a racist colonial society that degrades one's humanity due to a person's DNA then language is not the be all and end for identity A white person mayspeak a language but not understand colonization.

[hapeta24]

@wovokanarchy you miss the point for a culture to survive the language must survive-they are intertwined .

To understtand a culture you must understand the language . LAnguages can be lost within a few generations and are almost impossible to be recover as the old ones pass over.We are having the same problems in New Zealand with the Maori Language.A people without culture or language become faceless and voiceless amongst the many people of te ao (the world)

[wovokanarchy]

A lot of full blooded Indians dont speak their mother tongue does that mean they are less Indian than a 1/4 blood that does? My nephew is part chinese but does not speak Manderin, does that make him less Chinese? Millions of Jews don't speak Hebrew, does that mean they are not Jewish? My friend who is black and has no latin blood can speak spanish does that mean he's more Spanish than a Hispanic who does not speak latin? Language is extremely important to nationality but is not the sole criteria