Native America Calling

Monday, January 19, 2015 – The Fun Side of Language

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Learning your Native language can be difficult, especially when the available materials are black and white pages with blank spaces to scribble answers. But many language instructors and tribes are using fun new ways to keep language students interested while they learn to speak, read and write. Maybe you’ve heard about the translation of “Star Wars” into Navajo, the Berenstain Bears books translated to Lakota, a Dakota Scrabble tournament and Hupa Bingo. On today’s show, we will learn about all the fun ways people are learning their Native languages.

Guests:

Ginger Roger (Hupa) – Director of the NsDN Center “The place to acquire skills in a good way”

Tipiziwin Tolman (Lakota and Dakota) – Lakota language activities instructor at the Lakota Language Nest at Sitting Bull College

Isreal Shortman (Navajo) -Software engineer

Break Music: Heeia (song) Henry Kapono (artist) The Wild Hawaiian (album

 

 

 

Tuesday, September 30, 2014 – Difficulties of Learning Your Native Language

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Out of the hundreds of languages that were once spoken in North America, there are only a handful of them left – and even fewer speakers. However, there is a growing interest among many Native Americans to learn their language. You could take a class or use an online program, but learning a language is challenging. Have you started to learn your Native language as an adult? What challenges did you face? Can our elders, fluent speakers and tribal leaders make it easier for us to learn our languages?

Guests:

Vance Home Gun (Salish) – past language coordinator for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes

Chelsea Jocko (Onedia) – currently learning the Oneida language

Ginger Rogers (Hupa) – Director of the NDN Center

George Coser (Muscogee Creek) – fluent speaker of the Muskogee language

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