Tongue Tied
Some 200 Native American languages are dying out and with them valuable history
- By Robin T. Reid
- Smithsonian.com, October 31, 2007, Subscribe
Like most people, Johnny Hill Jr. gets frustrated when he can't remember the correct word for something he sees or wants to express. But unlike most people, he can't get help. He is one of the last people on the planet who speak Chemehuevi, a Native American language that was once prevalent in the Southwest.
"It hurts," the 53-year-old Arizonan says. "The language is gone."
In that regard, Hill is not alone. The plight of Chemehuevi (chay-mah-WA-vy) is very similar to that of some 200 other Native American languages, according to Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages in Salem, Oregon. The organization's director, Gregory Anderson, estimated that almost none of those languages remain viable. Navajo and Cherokee are among the healthiest, so to speak; up to 20,000 people speak Cherokee, and he estimates that around 75,000 use Navajo.
"Languages disappear when speakers abandon them," Anderson says. "When you have a situation where two or more languages are used in a community, and one is valued by the government or seen as the language of the educated, people are sensitive to this. It's usually a subconscious rejection by teenagers. Kids want to be cool; so if you have a way to remove something negative about yourself, it makes sense."
Hear a Chemehuevi speaker say, "He is running."
Hear a Chemehuevi speaker say, "The boy is running."
Before Europeans settled in what is now the United States, Native Americans spoke as many as 500 different languages. Virtually none of them had a written component, which further imperiled their survival during colonization.
"The idea was to get rid of the Indians and what made them Indian," Anderson says. "They were put into boarding schools right up until the 1960s. They'd beat up kids for speaking their languages, or wash their mouths out with soap.
Hill recalls being teased for speaking another language—until his persecutors got tired of him beating them up.
"I was raised by my grandmother, who never spoke English a day in her life," he says. "I eventually learned English. … I think mostly in English, but I mix words up."
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Comments (12)
Kway Don S. This summer I prayed the Wendat Hail Mary for a group of pilgrims on the site where Fr. Brebeuf was martyred. Later I was approached by 3 people with a similar story to your own. One was Metis, the other Cree, the other Ojibway. Those of us who were pushed away and lied to about our family grow up with deep yearnings. My own Great Grandmother slapped me when I asked if I had native ancesters. I was told that she was a teacher in Labrador who fell in love with the native school janitor. One day they gave him his walking papers telling Great Grandpa, "You can't work here - you're one of them!" It was so impossible to get a job that he moved to a completely different province, changed his name to something English sounding and no one spoke of it again. Until his grandchildren and great grandchildren started looking very native when they were born. So like you my ancestry has been hidden. But they can't take away my mercy for our native peoples anymore than they can stop the sun from rising. Don't give up searching, Don. My family will be praying for your family... Michelle S, Ark Portageur
Posted by Michelle Sullivan on September 18,2009 | 07:56 PM
It saddens me that my Grandfather was made to be ashamed of his culture, by the government...he was born in 1916, in Brantford, On, Canada. It was my mother who told me He was native, of Sioux decent....I have and am still tring to find his ancestrial history. What saddens me the most about the whole situation, is, I wasn't able to learn the language, or the culture of our native ancestery....I would love to learn ( whole heartedly, the Sioux language, and our cultres), I guess someone left outside of the circle is the one who wants to paticipate the most, hence my desire to learn. If only the youth of today growing up on the rez, could give up playing video games, and listening to music on the radios, or watching tv....maybe the language, and cultures, of they're ancesters have half a chance to surrvive....perhaps we're looking at it wrong, perhaps, we should be looking at getting parents, and grandparents, involed more in teaching our youth....isn't it the Cheifs, place to install, cultural rules, or tribal commitments, for his people, perhaps, the schools on the rez, should only teach in thery're specific native tounge, untill a certain grade then introduce the english language....hmmmmm, there's an idea......there should be, learning activities, specific to cultural growth, for the youth, and language class for the parents, and elders who may have lost a bit of the language.....I could go on , however , I'm probually not saying anything you havn't thought or heard about....lol..I pray to our Great Spirit, for your succes in revitializing the Pride, in our cultures, and languages......Meegwetch Nha-weah,Oneh....Don S..
Posted by Don J Stillman ( Story) on August 5,2009 | 07:24 PM
Whenever I feel as if despair will swallow me up, I pray.
Our local paper had sad article after sad article about our First Nations people. I finally got so frustrated that I went searching on the net for a way to pray in a First Nations language. My research led me from the Canadian Martyrs to Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, who had an Algonquin mother and a Mohawk father. I seemed to learn the Algonquin faster so I learned the Hail Mary in this language and included it in our family's rosary. My little hobby captured the interest of my entire family and before long led to a very big responsibility - reciting this prayer as we carried the Ark of the New Covenant into Quebec for the International Eucharistic Congress. After our pilgrimage, we did an interview with Radio Maria.
(http://www.hmwn.net/congress.html)
This interview inspired the host of the radio program to contact an anthropologist. Before long a CD with Huron-Wendat prayers (as well as English and French) was produced. Where there is prayer there is God and where there is God there is hope.
PS - For those who feel inspired to learn more about St. Jean de Brebeuf and his version of the Huron- Wendat prayers you can go to the archive at www.hmwn.net and under 'Community in Concert' find out more. Or try the link below. I'm not sure if this link will work - you'll need Quick time and at least 3 minutes to load this by high speed internet. Give it a try or contact Sharon DiCecco at Radio Maria and ask about the Luminous Mysteries CD she produced with the help of Dr. Steckley. (www.hmwn.net/temp/Mixdown_Aug_28_2008.mp3)
God bless you on your language preservation journey.
Michelle Sullivan, portageur of the Ark of the New Covenant.
Posted by MIchelle Sullivan on February 11,2009 | 04:48 PM
I am a member of the Rocky Boys Chippewa-Cree tribe of Montana, I am still able to communicate in the cree language, also my oldest sister, is a Cree language instructor on the reservation, so all is not lost, or extinct.write to me if anybody as a question. KCS
Posted by Kenneth C.Stanley on January 31,2009 | 06:39 PM
It is a shame that as americians, we are still taking from the native americans. And it isnt like we dont know better now. I am white and i am ashamed that we are like this. You have africain americans here in this country always yelling that they are being miss treated and that the white man is not fair. but you know what. We still have reservations for Indians. In the seventies Indians was still fighting for rights. Not equal rights, for rights period. Everyone is all happy for our first black presedent. I want our first Indian one. For a people that is still being persucuted in thier own country. That we took. A black can go to Africa to learn thier heratage. We can go to France, Scotland, germany. whereever.. Where are they to go to learn. To remember??
Posted by sharon on January 14,2009 | 12:44 AM
I am not Native American but the child of Irish immigrants, I did not learn more than a few words of Irish Gaelic and now my parents are gone and can no longer teach me. I have tried to learn on my own now that I am mature enough to realize what a treasure ones language and culture our. I am trying to teach my daughter Irish and tried to find information on the language of her mothers people who are Native American but sadly the language is apparently extinct. When a people lose their language they lose a piece of who they are, the Celtic people know this first hand and I for one have great sympathy for the Native Americans loss of their laguages.
Posted by Dean Counts on January 9,2009 | 08:15 PM
It is good that some one is helping with keeping up with the Language. I am sure it hurts Johnny Hill Jr. I pray God will bring Chemehuevi Language back to him amen. Michael Gets frustrated when he can't remember the correct word for something he sees or wants to express. But unlike most people, he can't get help. He is one of the last people on the planet who speak Chemehuevi, a Native American language that was once prevalent in the Southwest. "It hurts," the 53-year-old Arizonan says. "The language is gone."
Posted by Michael Owens on November 24,2008 | 11:23 PM
I think a person's heritige is a big part of who they are, for it represents their past. It breaks my heart to hear about young Native Americans rejecting a part of their heritage and thus rejecting a part of themselves. I have heard of such young people having trouble finding their own identities. I don't it is possible for them to find themselves without coming to terms with their heritage.
Posted by Nate Courtney on November 22,2008 | 03:12 PM
I sometimes get angry when people from other countries say we must learn how to speak their language. when my mom and dad were cheated out of an education because they were forced to speak english. they ranned away from these boarding schools because they were afraid of getting whipped for speaking their language. what has the goverment done to pay us back for what they done to us? nothing ! I am proud that I am able to speak my language and I am also proud to say I am one of the real americans.
Posted by Eliza Squirrel Smith on November 16,2008 | 09:01 AM
Losing our Native tongue is heart breaking. I am of the Dine' tribe from Dennehotso, Arizona and teaching in Las Vegas, NV. Everyday is a challenge for me because I teach non-Native students everyday, and I literally have to call home at least three times a week just to speak my own language with my parents and my grandfather. Although by no means am I fluent but I can handle a conversation. I say I am not fluent because there are Dine' words that I have not been exposed to that many elders still use. I beleive that we all need to do our part to empower our Native youth to speak their language and maybe having "talking dictionaries" will provide that opportunity.
Posted by Veronica Todachine-Corrado on November 7,2008 | 02:09 PM
I greatly admire the Native Culture and its people. I think society owes a tremendous debt to the Native American Community. The preservation of the language is very vital in my opinion to our country. So much has already been lost and I hesitate to think that "we" would let the beauty of one of the most beautiful cultures fade away so easily. I would love to be apart of the preservation chain.
Posted by Rickey Hogg on December 27,2007 | 01:50 PM
The disappearance of native languages is so tragic--especially since it usually involves the loss of so much valuable cultural information and tradition as well. As someone who works with the mythologies of various cultures, their gods and goddesses specifically, I would mourn the loss of this information. Blessings on your work. Sharon Turnbull, author of Goddess Gift: A Book about Finding the Goddess in You. www.goddessgift.com www.men-myths-minds.com
Posted by Sharon Turnbull on November 29,2007 | 09:53 PM
I am glad someone out there is rying to save our native languages. I am Native American. I am not by any means full blooded. But our childern and their children are so ingrafted into the English world that they forgt where they have come from. Mostly it is because there is nothing on the reservations that appeal to the younger generation. I think that we need to step up to the plate as Americans and help the orignal Americans. Thank you for your time. Kathy Griffin
Posted by Kathy Griffin on November 27,2007 | 11:10 PM