Learning Journal 7

[Maddie Philips]

I thought that the reading was interesting, both because I am familiar with the Athabaskan languages as a Washington native, and also because I started learning Basque in order to try to help preserve it. Although I now know that Basque as a language is not in decline, it meant a lot to me when I began learning it to know that I was helping to carry on the legacy of my family. I really appreciate what these people are doing in Oregon especially, because although it is unlikely that after these five speakers are gone, the language will continue to survive, they are trying to preserve it at the very least. As an archaeology student and archivist, I can really appreciate that as well. When languages die, so does a large part of a group's cultural history, so I think that it's really great that the language can be immortalized in the internet.