The article regarding Siletz Dee-ni enlightened me of the concerns regarding endangered languages. I found Mr. Lane of Siletz, Oregon to be quite admirable in his quest to salvage the last of his language. By opening the Siletz Dee-ni Talking Dictionary to the public, Mr. Lane opened a greater possibility for outsiders to access their language and keep it alive. I see the issue that Mr. Lane poses of the need to acquire fluent speakers, not just people who know a few phrases. Recordings made by the five remaining speakers of Siletz Dee-ni would also provide context and conversation to study in addition to the dictionary. If the Siletz Dee-ni language were to go extinct, people may be able to resurrect the language through ample recordings, explanations, dictionaries, etc.
In the interview of David Harrison, I realized certain barriers that arise for linguists. The linguist has to be very culturally competent, and they must be able to gain the respect and approval from the small societies they wish to learn from. Before, I thought usually, if a person wished to learn from a small community that speaks another language, they use an interpreter. However, Prof. Harrison said sometimes, they do not have a common language at all or an interpreter, so he must start out with pointing. Since not all societies use pointing as a way of directing attention to something, a linguist may have a hard time figuring out initial basic words. Additionally, I find Prof. Harrison to be extremely proactive in his recruitment process for linguists. Quite honestly, I did not know what a linguist was until this course. I knew they studies languages, but I did not know any specifics. By speaking with high school students, they are made aware of the critical need for linguists.
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