105 Learning Journal #7

[Esther Kwon]

I found this reading particularly interesting since I grew up in the Pacific Northwest where Native American tribes are obvious influences in the history of this region. It was intriguing to read how the Siletz language was able to overcome its near extinction largely thanks to the preservation of its songs and dances. Based on this miraculous resurgence of the Siletz language, it is evident that upholding the culture of a language plays a key role in maintaining the language's existence and presence within a community. The death of a language, I believe, extinguishes a unique identity and community that cannot ever be recovered without the language. It is clear that the culture found within a language must be maintained and continuously practiced through things such as song and dance in order for a language to continue to exist. Therefore, without the culture to uphold the language, it is impossible for the language to stay alive.