Despite that, the article is really interesting. I was so surprised when I read that there are only 5 speakers today. It's sad to see how much urban development has affected these unique languages. Honestly, Americans should realize how much destruction they have caused to these people. Past Native American policies have pushed languages like Siletz to the very edge of extinction or close to it. I read an article that mentioned how birthrates in these reservations are extremely low. And so, this definitely makes it difficult for the language to survive with these new babies. What I don't understand is who is Bud Lane? The article mentions that everyone who learned Siletz as a first language are all gone today. But did he learn English and Siletz together? He seems pretty knowledgeable about the language, enough so that he can teach others.
I think the online dictionary is a great idea. It gives outsiders the opportunity to explore and learn the language. Additionally it helps native speakers be familiar with their culture and their heritage. But I question the quality of the recordings. Often times, digital recordings have difficulty capturing the correct pronunciation of words. Or sounds are really hard to capture correctly. Therefore, a speaker saying one word doesn't sound exactly the same as on the recording.
I'm glad though that the language has been able to survive during these difficult times when so few speakers are alive today. It definitely shows how strong the language is and could be. Thinking about North America's Native Americans, it reminds me a little of Australia's Aboriginal people and how they are having the same issue. One difference though is that the Aboriginals seem to have a much larger population. There also seems to be better cultural protection practices in place, allowing the culture itself to prosper even if they were to have few numbers.
Comments
Preach Fionna!!! Completely agree with you about the Indian vs. Native American distinction!!