HOTINK
A PUBLICATION OF NEWSROOM 101 AND THE OKLAHOMAN | SPRING 2013
Preserving Native American Languages in Oklahoma R u t h S e rv e n | V eritas C lassical A cadem y Jesse Robbins did not grow up speaking Choctaw. At ceremonies and events, Robbins listened to elders speak the language as they told stories about the tribe’s history. He thought, “I’m not speaking my language. I wonder why?” Robbins began learning Choctaw and started writing rap and poetry in that language. He said he writes to speak to his ancestors, but he also writes for the next generation of Choctaws, hoping to spark interest in the language. “Lots of kids see our traditions and language as old — no use for it,” Robbins said. “I thought, what would get their attention?” Robbins tries to regain kids’ interest by playing Choctaw hip-hop and rap for youth groups and at events. “I take the elders’ message and put it into the youth’s form,” he said. Robbins writes and sings “to let people know we’re not dead; we’re still breathing.” 8
www.newsok.com/hotink
Today, about 10,000 Choctaw speakers live in Oklahoma. Choctaw and every other American Indian language in Oklahoma are threatened, and some are on the verge of extinction. Even Cherokee, the most commonly spoken Native language, faces declining numbers. In 2002, the Cherokee Nation conducted a survey among residents of the tribe’s jurisdictional service area. The survey found that no one younger than 40 is even conversational in Cherokee.
schools, said Desa Dawson, director of world language education in the state Education Department. “It is an opportunity for natives who aren’t immersed in the language at home to learn more about their heritage, and (for) non-Natives (who) are surrounded by so many tribes here in Oklahoma, there is a natural curiosity about them,” she said. The change is exciting for tribes, too, said Candessa Tehee, spokeswoman for the Cherokee Nation.
While most tribes have various language programs and initiatives, few have standardized certifications and guidelines for their language instructors.
Tehee said allowing language instructors to be state-certified would fulfill the need for world languages in Oklahoma, introduce more students to the languages and give insight into native cultures.
The state Education Department has worked closely with representatives from Oklahoma’s American Indian nations to develop program to certify instructors to teach native languages in public schools.
Though the Cherokee language is endangered, Tehee foresees a day when she can choose between English, Spanish and Cherokee on the ATM and hear Cherokee spoken on the street.
High school students will be allowed to take native languages as foreign language credits.
“Making the language a real part of everyday life for all people in Cherokee Nation again is my vision and my goal,” she said.
The change presents an exciting opportunity for Oklahoma