Preserving Alaska's tribal languages from extinction

Alaskan Language Project

The continuance and historical understanding of the remaining approximate 200 tribal languages in Alaska (Krauss, 1996) is a significant cultural and educational concern for the American Indian and Alaska Native societies. Recently, the tribes and educators have spent considerable resources to ensure they capture the present languages and allow for their survival. Richard Littlebear relates the emergency of this problem:

Our native languages are in the penultimate moment of their existence in this world. It is the last and only time that we will have the opportunity to save them. We must continue to promote the successful programs throughout Alaska and Indian Country. We must quit endlessly lamenting and continuously cataloguing the causes of language death; instead, we must now deal with these issues by learning from successful language preservation efforts. So if we do nothing, then we can expect our languages to be dead by the end of the next century. Even that time-line might be an optimistic [one], if we do nothing to preserve our languages.

A great void will be left in the universe that will never be filled when all of our languages die (Littlebear, 1996, p. xv).

There are a number of different ways that these languages can be studied and preserved, among them a dissection of the stories that are already written and read by some of the indigenous communities. This research project offers a suggestion on how this can be done.

INTRODUCTION

Languages have subtle nuances that cannot be translated. They embody the philosophy of a people. This information is gone when its language disappears. Linguists now believe that half the languages spoken today will disappear within the next century. One of the languages that is in serious trouble is This is true for some Yupik Eskimo communities in Alaska, where just 20 years ago all of the children spoke Yupik. Now, the youngest speakers of Yupik in some of these communities are in their 20s, and the children speak only English (Robins; Alaskan Native Language Center).

Crawford (1996) explains how linguists recognize that a language is disappearing in Alaska: 1) decreasing amount of speakers; 2) language fluency is greater with older speakers; 3) declining use of language social activities, religious and cultural observances, and in the home; and 4) children no longer learning the language from their parents. In many tribal societies, only a few fluent speakers remain and that the language is rarely heard except at some tribal school language classes and at historical ceremonies and feasts. Indigenous languages are usually not what is spoken in daily conversations, and English is the language for government and commerce in many tribal communities. Cleary and Peacock interviewed Native language teachers and examined the current state of indigenous languages: They conclude that two schools of thought exist about the relationship between American Indian and Alaska Native languages and culture. Some say the extinction of languages means the extinction of that culture. Others respond that aspects of culture can and usually exist without the language. Attempts over the past generations to eliminate American Indian languages have had a profound impact on present-day American Indian education, loosing hundreds of tribal languages. Thus, preserving language is a top concern in American Indian communities as recognized by the myriad of ongoing efforts. However, there are numerous hurdles. American Indian language teachers have rich cultural backgrounds, but may not be trained as educators. In many cases, they also have to develop their own curricula where few or none had existed before. Further, not having an acceptable orthography, spelling of the language, impedes language maintenance along with dialectic differences. In addition, some American Indian students are under intense peer pressure not to learn or use their tribal language.

RESEARCH PROPOSAL

There are several tales that remain of the Yupik language. These could be contrasted and compared to other tales that are known today from the Native Americans, the Anglo-Europeans, Africans and the Asians. By looking at the themes in the Yupik stories that compare to those in other larger societies, it would be possible to see the differences and similarities between cultures. Since all these stories have been translated into English, much of the original cultural flavor is homogenized, but there is still enough that a comparison could be made.

The Yupik tales would include: "Raven's Yupik Stories," "Long Nails," "Eye of the Needle," "Yup'ik Stories Read Aloud = Yugcetun Qulirat Naaqumalriit Erinairissuutmun. With Transcriptions and Word-by-Word Translations," Yupik fairy tales.

The questions that would be asked are:

What are some of the similarities between the Yupik stories and those of the other larger societies? Why do these similarities occur?

What are some of the differences between Yupik stories and those of other larger societies? Why do these differences occur?

Are the Yupik stories closer to any one other society, such as Native American or Asian? or, do they share commonalities equally with all the societies?

To answer these questions, I will have to do research through the Internet, research materials in the Alaskan Native Languages archives, and other individuals/organizations that have information on the Yupik language and culture. Others, such as the Endowment of the Arts, would have to be contacted, too. There are specialists in fairy tales who can be contacted.

The main thesis is that the Yupik tales will have a number of similarities with stories from other cultures, which show the generalities among human cultures regardless of where they are worldwide. In addition, the tales will include differences that detail specific themes that are only indicative of the Yupik culture and make it unique.