You can't make this stuff UP.
To keep its language alive the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians, which has defaulted on its casino loans pledged $1 million to Fresno State’s College of Arts and Humanities for the Department of Linguistics May 7.
College faculty and students have been working with native speakers of the language since 2009 to devise a writing system and produce a dictionary. These funds will further that effort. Before now the language hasn’t existed on paper.
“This is a rare and exciting opportunity for the students and faculty of the Department of Linguistics,” said Dr. Vida Samiian, dean of the College of Arts and Humanities, in a statement. “We are deeply honored to support the efforts of the Chukchansi people to revitalize and preserve their unique and historically significant language.” She said this gift from the Picayune Rancheria will enable the language to be properly documented so it can be brought back into social and ritual use for future generations of Chukchansi people.
It should NOT be an honor to work with Chukchansi, the way they have mistreated their people. The College should THROW THIS MONEY BACK IN THEIR FACES!
Jane and Holly Wyatt are two of only a handful of remaining tribal members left who speak the language fluently. NO SHIT? Could that be because the have DISENROLLED some of their speakers?
Both were happy and a little emotional at the prospect of the language having such a bright future when they spoke to KFSN-TV.
Holly Wyatt said she learned the language from her grandmother, “who raised us… that’s what we spoke around the house,” she said.
In making the gift, the tribal council pointed out how important keeping the language alive is for sustaining their cultural identity.
OP: They could return ALL their terminated peple and THAT would sustain their cultural identity. Instead, they have an incredible shrinking tribe.
“We are proud to make this gift as part of our efforts as a tribe to preserve, protect, and revitalize our cultural identity and traditions,” said Tribal Chairman Reggie Lewis in a statement. “It is extremely important to us that the language of our ancestors is not lost and that future generations of Chukchansi are able to learn and speak our native language.
Read about Chukchansi Language Speaker RUBY CORDERO
the most valuable asset of a tribe is it's PEOPLE...
ReplyDeletewhen a tribal government has no respect for it's own people, even disenrolling at least three fluent chukchansi speaking elders and terrorizing several elders including a chukchansi healer and medicine person there is no need for praise and honor...
picayune disrespects its' ancestors, its' history, its' culture, and most importantly its' very living people...
i can remember members of the wyatt, ramirez, and graham families REFUSING request to teach the language to many of our people who were hungry to learn...categorizing these people as "illegal aliens" and somehow "unworthy" of becoming keepers of their own language...now these very people want to open up the language even to everyone who wants to learn? like so many before them, picayune (like table mountain) seeks only public relations and the chukchansi name on big projects and construction in order to build the "brand" of chukchansi (gold) in an attempt to boost casino profits...
SHAME TO PICAYUNE AND THE PICAYUNE TRIBAL GOVERNMENT, WHO HAVE STOLEN THE VERY BIRTHRIGHT OF OVER ONE THOUSAND CHUKCHANSI PEOPLE...
NO GOOD WILL COME FROM YOUR EFFORTS UNTIL YOU BRING THE PEOPLE HOME TO PICAYUNE WHERE THEY BELONG!!!