Revitalization of Lakhota language on Pine Ridge Reservation: waiting to hit rock bottom

• Autores: Miroslav Vales
• Localización: Language Design: Journal of Theoretical and Experimental Linguistics, ISSN-e 1139-4218, Nº. 11, 2009, págs. 121-143
• Idioma: inglés
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo  1 (pdf)   2  
• Resumen

  • Lakhota is one of a few North American Indian languages that still counts the speakers of the language in the thousands. However, their age structure is alarming as there are very few speakers younger than seventeen and even the age group of today's parents usually do not speak the language. Various examples of successful language revitalization prove that it is not impossible to restart inter-generational mother-tongue transmission but they prove at the same time that it is a very difficult task. The following study analyzes the situation of Lakhota language teaching at schools, the role of schools and involvement of the community in language conservation issues. It also focuses on Lakhota opinions about standardized testing and immersion. My research was conducted on the Pine Ridge Reservation and it is based on interviews with 52 participants. It compares opinions of teachers and parents of school children with the objective to find out whether the teaching of Lakhota is adequate with respect to the current condition the language is in.

• Referencias bibliográficas
  • BLUEARM, M. (2002). Assessing Lakota Language Teaching Issues on the Cheyenne River Reservation. In BURNABY, B. – REYHNER, J., Indigenous...
  • BUCHOLTZ, M. – HALL, K. (2006). Language and Identity. In Duranti A. (ed.), A Companion to Linguistic Anthropology, p. 369-394. Malden, MA:...
  • BUECHEL, E. (1983). Lakota English Dictionary. Pine Ridge, SD: Red Cloud Indian School.
  • DELORIA, P. J. (1998). Playing Indian. New Haven, London: Yale University Press.
  • DURANTI, A. (1997). Linguistic Anthropology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • ETXEBARRIA, M. (2002). La diversidad de lenguas en España. Madrid: Espasa Calpe.
  • FISHMAN, J. (1991). Reversing language shift: theoretical and empirical foundations of assistance to threatened languages. Philadelphia: Multilingual...
  • FISHMAN, J. (1996a). What do you lose when you lose your language? In CANTONI, G. (ed.), Stabilizing Indigenous Languages, p. 80-91.
  • Flagstaff, AZ: Center for Excellence in Education, Northern Arizona University. Available at:
  • FISHMAN, J. (1996b). Maintaining languages: What works? What doesn't? In CANTONI, Gina (ed.), Stabilizing Indigenous Languages, p. 186-...
  • HAIRY SHIRT, L. et al. (1973). Lakota Woonspe Wowapi. Aberdeen, SD: North Plains Press.
  • HINTON, L. (2001a). Federal Language Policy and Indigenous Languages in the United States. In HINTON, L. HALE, K. (eds.). 2001. The Green...
  • HINTON, L. (2001b). Introduction to Revitalization of National Indigenous Languages. . In HINTON, L. HALE, K. (eds.). 2001. The Green Book...
  • HINTON, L. HALE, K. (eds.) (2001). The Green Book of Language Revitalization in Practice. San Diego: Academic Press.
  • HYMES, D. (1974). Foundations in Sociolinguistics: An Ethnographic Approach. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
  • JOHNSON, M. (2000). Tribes of the Sioux Nation. New York: Osprey.
  • KROSKRITY, P. (1993). Language, History and Identity. Tuscon: University of Arizona Press.
  • LAKOTA LANGUAGE CONSORTIUM. (2005). Lakhótiya Wóglaka Po! Speak Lakota! Level 2. Edited by Jan F. Ullrich. Bloomington, IN: Lakota Language...
  • LAKOTA LANGUAGE CONSORTIUM. (2008). New Lakota Dictionary: Lakhótiyapi-English / English-Lakhótiyapi & Incorporating the Dakota Dialects...
  • NETTLE, D. – ROMAINE, S. (2000). Vanishing Voices. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • OCETI WAKAN. (2006). Lakota Language Workbook/CD: Pte Oyate. Pine Ridge: Oceti Wakan.
  • OCETI WAKAN. (2007). Lakota Language Survey Results. Data acquired by personal communication. Results of the survey were published in Lakhota...
  • SALZMANN, Z. (1998). Language, culture and society: an introduction to linguistic anthropology. Boulder: Westview Press.
  • SAPIR, E. (2003). Language, Race and Culture. In HARRIS, R. – RAMPTON, B. (eds.), The Language, Ethnicity and Race Reader, p. 28-35. London,...
  • Å ATAVA, L. (2001). Jazyk a identita etnických menÅ¡in: možnosti zachování a revitalizace. Praha: Cargo.
  • TAYLOR, A. – ROOD, D. (1976). Lakhóta Wayáwapi: Lakhóta Readings. Boulder: University of Colorado.
  • TRECHTER, S. (1999). Contextualizing the Exotic Few: Gender Dichotomies in Lakhota. In BUCHOLTZ, M. – LIANG, A.C. – SUTTON, L.A. (eds.), Reinventing...
  • ULLRICH, J. (2002). Mýty Lakotů aneb Když jeÅ¡tě po zemi chodil Iktómi. Praha: Argo.
  • ULLRICH, J. (2004). Lakótiya Wóglaka Po! Speak Lakota! Level 1. Bloomington, IN: Lakota Language Consortium.
  • WHITE HAT, A. (1999). Reading and Writing the Lakota Language. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press.
  • YAMAMOTO, A. Y. (1998). Retrospect and prospect on new emerging language communities. In OSTLER, N. (ed.), Endangered languages: what role...
  • ZIMMERMANN, K. (1999). Política del lenguaje y planificación para los pueblos amerindios: Ensayos de ecología lingüística. Madrid: Iberoamericana.