{"id":33882,"date":"2022-04-06T14:47:51","date_gmt":"2022-04-06T19:47:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/cannon-ball-nd-58528\/little-bear-addresses-language-preservation\/"},"modified":"2022-04-06T14:47:51","modified_gmt":"2022-04-06T19:47:51","slug":"little-bear-addresses-language-preservation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/cannon-ball-nd-58528\/little-bear-addresses-language-preservation\/","title":{"rendered":"Little Bear addresses language preservation"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Little Bear addresses language preservation<\/strong><\/p>\n

By Clara Caufield,<\/p>\n

NSNT Correspondent<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

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On March 24 and 25, 2022, the Annual American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) Language conference was held via ZOOM, attracting about 110 participants from around the country.\u00a0 The focus was on tribal language preservation.<\/p>\n

Dr. Richard Littlebear, Northern Cheyenne and President of Chief Dull Knife College, Lame Deer, Montana was the keynote speaker and part of the closing ceremonies which featured five prominent Native poets. \u201cThe conference was a great success, helping raise awareness, providing inspiration and building commitment to tribal language preservation,\u201d he commented.<\/p>\n

Littlebear credited AIHEC with doing a wonderful job to plan, coordinate and conduct the event, specifically, Jurgita Antoine, staffer for her work.\u00a0 AIHEC is committed to this effort, plans already underway for the 2023 event which will be open to all.\u00a0 For more information visit the AIHEC website,<\/p>\n

Dr. Littlebear, nationally recognized as a leader in the field of tribal language preservation is often called upon to speak about tribal language efforts, his life-long passion.\u00a0 He made the following encouraging remarks, which represent his primary message a while back, now recorded and available on UTube, reprinted here with his permission.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the things that make us Cheyenne is our language.\u00a0 It knits everything together: Cheyenne people, culture, land flora and fauna. \u00a0It translates our culture, our stories and helps pass that to the next generation.<\/p>\n

Our language is dying. Once language goes, a lot of who we are as Cheyenne will also go.\u00a0 Once our language goes, we will still look like Cheyenne.\u00a0 We will still sing song and do ceremonial rituals.\u00a0 But what puts it all together is our language.<\/p>\n

We will carry on our most sacred rituals, but in a foreign language.\u00a0 That, to me, is a very big desecration.<\/p>\n

It is very, very important that we maintain our language \u2013 and that we continue to participate in the language.<\/p>\n

Most of our speakers are from 60-80 years old.\u00a0 So, the language is dying out very rapidly.<\/p>\n

I would like for all the speakers or potential speakers to study Cheyenne, both orally and in the written form, preferably orally first so they can learn the sounds.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry about nay-sayers who say you are not speaking it right.\u00a0 Everybody makes mistakes.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been a life-long speaker of Cheyenne.\u00a0 I still make mistakes in Cheyenne.\u00a0 And I\u2019ve been a life-long speaker of English as well and still make mistakes.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t let that discourage you.\u00a0 When we go to the Last Camp, we will see our ancestors, meet and greet them.\u00a0 Many of our ancestors did not speak English.<\/p>\n

If that is the only reason you can think of to speak Cheyenne, it\u2019s a very good reason. It gives you hope to keep speaking Cheyenne so when you greet your ancestors you can do it in a tongue we are all familiar with. Clara Caufield can be reached at acheyennevoice@gmail.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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The post Little Bear addresses language preservation<\/a> first appeared on Native Sun News Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Visit Original Source<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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Little Bear addresses language preservation By Clara Caufield, NSNT Correspondent \u00a0 On March 24 and 25, 2022, the Annual American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) Language conference was held via ZOOM, attracting about 110 participants from around the country.\u00a0 The focus was on tribal language preservation. Dr. Richard Littlebear, Northern <\/p>\n

Read More<\/a>
Shared by Native Sun News Today<\/a> April 6, 2022<\/p>\n

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