LINGUISTICS AS A PATH TO TRIBAL
LANGUAGE REVITALIZATION
Yolanda Pushetonequa
M.A. Linguistics (2016 - University of Minnesota Twin Cities)
Linguist, Sauk Language Department (Sac & Fox Nation of Oklahoma)
Building Capacity in Linguistics and Endangered Languages at Tribal Colleges
and Universities / Linguistics Society of America 2017 Annual Meeting
Thursday, January 5, 2017
INTRODUCTION
v Background:
v Meskwaki tribal member from the Meskwaki Settlment
in central Iowa
v Raised by two fluent speaker parents, understanding
and using a little Meskwaki language, similar to other
peers
v Meskwaki is in an endangered state: Population: 1,400
Youngest fluent speakers are in their mid-late 40s
INTRODUCTION
v Interest in Linguistics Developed over many years:
v Research topic on Language Preservation 2000
v Attending my first linguistics talk 2008
v Appointed to launch Meskwaki Language
Department – the first years in my language career
MESKWAKI LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT:
NEEDS
v Identifying our tribe’s language needs as I understood them to be:
v Training of teachers for - youth, young adults, adults
v Systemic and collaborative support within the community
v Strategy based on proven results
v Orthography - Meskwaki writing system has a few
inefficiencies
MESKWAKI ORTHOGRAPHY ISSUE:
AN EXERCISE IN PHONETICS
v My first personal observation of a linguistic problem: Literacy issues we weren’t
aware of: phonemes essential to the written word are not included in the current
writing system
MESKWAKI ORTHOGRAPHY ISSUE:
AN EXERCISE IN PHONETICS
v Experimenting with solutions:
inoki
ttai
egi
megenetamani
niatota
iinoki
chaahi
eehkwi
mehkweenetamaani
niihaatota
iinogi
jaahi
eehkwi
mehkweenedamaani
niihaadoda
înoki
châhi
êhkwi
mehkwênetamâni
nîhâtota
înogi
jâhi
êhkwi
mehkwênedamâni
nîhâdoda
v Final decision: I will encourage discussion among the community, but
decisions to adopt updates lie soleley with the community. (With one
exception, my personal documentation)
GRADUATE STUDIES: FOCUS ON LANGUAGE
v Onward to graduate school - M.A. Linguistics, 2016, University of Minnesota – TC
v Graduate School: Joys & growth
v Challenges & obstacles (the pesky imposter syndrome and other anxieties)
v Learning linguistics as long last!
v Morphology and Syntax – grammatical
structure of language
v Phonology – my first direct applications to my
own language
v Semantics – complexities beyond the surface
GRADUATE STUDIES: FOCUS ON LANGUAGE
v Personal language learning:
v Able to quickly increase my understanding of my own tribal language better
once I researched and saw it through a linguistics lens. phonetics (sound
system) and phonology (rules and tendencies regarding the sounds)
v Phonetics and Phonology Example: “Elision of semivowels”
eh-bawi-nenoshewa > eh-bai-nenoshea
‘when they don’t understand’
v Morphology Example:
eh-tashi-meko=eh-shk-ihkwe-wi-wani
‘when you become a young woman’
GRADUATE STUDIES: FOCUS ON LANGUAGE
v Grammatical Structure of Algonquian Languages:
v Verbal types
v AI - Animate Intransitive – “He walks” / bemehkewa
v VII – Verb Inanimate Intransitive – “It is day / there is light” / wâsêyâwi
v VTA – Verb Transitive Animate – “He likes her” / menwênemêwa
v VTI – Verb Transitive Inanimate – “He likes it” / menwênetamwa
v Verbal infelction for person
v 1st, 2nd, 3rd, Obviative/ Proximate 3rd person
v Morphological complexity conveys syntactic information
v Many particles, intial/ medial/ and final stems
POST M.A. WORK:
MESKWAKI-SAUK JOINT M-A PROGRAM (BACONE
COLLEGE AND SAUK LANGUAGE DEPT.)
v Collaborative College Level Language Learning Program:
v Sauk Language Department at the Sac & Fox Nation in Stroud, OK
v Bacone College – Center for Tribal Languages
v BA in Tribal Languages – 4 semesters of Master Apprentice Internship
v Accredited college program with full time college credit per semester
v Location based in the language community
POST M.A. WORK:
MESKWAKI-SAUK JOINT M-A PROGRAM (BACONE
COLLEGE AND SAUK LANGUAGE DEPT.)
v My Role in the Joint Program:
v Establishing Community Buy-In and Support (elders, Tribal Council, Meskwaki
Language Department)
v Train to be the intermediate learner/ leader of M-A sessions
v Secure a location
v Develop the curriculum and guide learning activities
POST M.A. WORK:
MESKWAKI-SAUK JOINT M-A PROGRAM (BACONE
COLLEGE AND SAUK LANGUAGE DEPT.)
„
Sauk Language Department:
„
Provides training based on successful
immersion and programming experience
via periodic in-person trainings in Tama
and Stroud
„
Provides training and leadership via daily
Asana interfacing, weekly Skype Meetings,
and periodic phone calls as needed
„
Direct and specific leadership in shaping
the Joint Program
„
Direct and specific leadership in carrying
out immersion based teaching and
learning
„
Meskwaki Community:
„ Availability of fluent speakers
„ Consultation sessions with
Meskwaki speaker community
members
„ Fieldwork conducted on
grammatical patterns,
immersion classroom phrases,
and general lexical items not
otherwise known
„ Commitment of dedicated
classroom space to the program
„ Currently developing special
endorsement by Meskwaki
Higher Education Program
POST M.A. WORK:
OTHER PROJECTS
v Fieldwork for general documentation: basic verbal samples within the 4 types
v Developing a fieldwork protocol for file organization, file naming and
categorizing
v Standardizing Immersion Project: fieldwork in gathering paradigms based on
Mood. First mood selected for this project: Imperatives
v Group project in an effort to document each verb type for our own
reference to be used I teaching
LINGUISTICS AND IMMERSION LEARNING
v Limitations and Benefits:
vLimitations – linguistics doesn’t necessarily mean creating
pedagogical material for all classroom types, however…
vBenefits – the products of linguistic analysis (reference
grammars, documentation of the language) can inform the
teaching.
vBenefits – adult learners will not catch everything as quickly,
even via immersion
vBenefits – Gaining awareness of phenomenon in the language
prior to M-A can be beneficial /necessary for advanced MA
learners
SUMMARY AND DISCUSSION
vLinguistics is a necessity to any tribal revitalization program
vLinguistics is underutilized and possibly overlooked by tribal
communities
vLinguistic material will supplement learning, inform pedagogy, and
improve the quality of learner’s language
CONTACT INFORMATION
Yolanda Pushetonequa
Tribal Linguist, Sauk Language Department
Sac & Fox Nation of Oklahoma
920883 S. Hwy 99
Stroud, OK 74079
[email protected]