This is a two-day symposium on the topic of involving everyone (e.g. language teachers, learners, language program administrators and staff, language activists, parents, Native youth/young adults) on effective ways to conquer persistent challenges that hinder efforts to produce Native language speakers. The presentations will be organized into 40-60 minute presentations. There will be no concurrent sessions, allowing attendees to participate in all sessions. There will be ample time and opportunity for networking.
PRESENTERS/TOPICS
To address this year's theme of "Conquering Challenges in Native Language Work", we will focus on difficult issues that persistently challenge community language revitalization work. Our Presenters will share experiences and information on effective ways to overcome these challenges. Some challenges require paradigm shifts – big time – and others require easy-to-do methods, tools and tips. ALL require WILL and DISCIPLINE. Here are the presentations and presenters for ILIS 2012 (in alpha order of last name of presenter).
Kristopher Easton (Cherokee Nation)
Kristopher Easton is a member of the Endangered Languages Project team and works in Google's Financial Operations. A member of the Cherokee Nation and Co-Chair for the Google American Indian Network, he develops partnerships to encourage science and technology education, as well as to deploy Google's tools and passion to benefit the American Indian population. Prior to Google, he worked in banking on such initiatives as the Partnership for College Completion.
PRESENTATION: Google's Endangered Languages Project: Potential Sharing Tool
Kristopher will speak about the newly launched Google "Endangered Languages Project". He will demonstrate the website and how it works. He will discuss how the Endangered Languages Project could be an effective tool for sharing important information about Native language revitalization work.
Christopher Harvey (Celtic/Canadian)
Christopher Harvey has retuned to university after a productive and exciting time as Head of Research and Development at ILI where he was responsible for the design of the Regional Tech-Knowledge Training Workshops as well as research on innovative use of technology for language revitalization. Chris has developed keyboard layouts, font systems, and iOS apps for languages across North America and around the world; his website, languagegeek.com contains software tools for many Native Languages. Chris is pursuing a Ph.D. in Linguistics at the University of Toronto, Canada, and has worked with may First Nations across North America on language revitalization. He has studied over twenty languages and above all has learned some of his Celtic ancestors' endangered languages.
PRESENTATION: To Write or Not to Write: Benefits and Challenges of the Written Form of Oral Tradition
The Native Language Movement is, generally, no longer debating whether we write or not write the language, as formal writing systems or informal methods to phonetically note the language are being implemented. Research information on the benefits of literacy will be presented as well as how literacy affects the language revitalization efforts in communities.
Daryn McKenny (Gamilaraay/Wiradjuri)
Daryn McKenny is the General Manager of the Miromaa Aboriginal Language and Technology Centre in Australia. He is a passionate Aboriginal person and proudly acknowledges his traditional heritage to the Gamilaraay and Wiradjuri nations. Daryn has been instrumental in developing ways of using technology to assist in empowering Aboriginal people to be hands on at all levels of language activity through the creation of his program, Miromaa. His organisation also organises and hosts the National Puliima Indigenous Language and Technology conference every two years in Australia and also developed the "Our Languages" website.
PRESENTATION: Modern Ways for Ancient Words: All the way to Tewa with a little bit of Miromaa
Aboriginal Language Technology Centre in Newcastle, Australia has been a key figure in developing support for language conservation through technology, especially in the development of the computer program Miromaa (means "Saved" in the Awabakal language), through to training and developing key strategies which all hinge on two things, empowering Indigenous people to be at the centre of maintaining their languages and encouraging methods for strong transfer of skills and language to Indigenous people.
Patricia Margaret Ningewance (Ojibwe, Bear Clan, Lac Seul First Nation)
Patricia Margaret Ningewance began working in native language development, teaching, translation and Ojibwe language media in Sioux Lookout and continued in Thunder Bay and Winnipeg. She teaches Ojibwe at Lakehead University and University of Manitoba. She writes textbooks, a dictionary, phrasebooks in Ojibwe and publishes Native Language materials including those in Inuktitut and Cree with her company Mazinaate Inc. She is a board member of the Indigenous Language Institute and Mahkwa Lodge in Lac Seul, Ontario where a Winter Ojibwe Language Camp is being established this year.
PRESENTATION: Drop Your Baggage, Let's Journey Forward Together: Overcoming Barriers to Language Learning
The presenter has taught her language at universities and community language camps for a long time. One obstacle that comes up in language classes is the difficulty that some Native students have in learning their own language. These students excel in other classes but not their language class. Non-native students usually ace these courses. This may not be a question of Native students having different learning styles. It seems to be an emotional block to the subject, although the student wishes to learn his/her language very much. The presenter will discuss the situations she has had in her classrooms and how she has met these challenges with sharing circles, prayer, games and other activities that enable the student to lose his/her fear of performing in the language.
Margaret Noori / Giiwedinoodin and Fionna Noori / Nitaanimiikwesens live in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Margaret received an MFA in Creative Writing and a Ph.D. in English and Linguistics from the University of Minnesota. Fionna is in the fifth grade at Haisley Elementary. Margaret teaches American Indian Literature at the University of Michigan. Fionna writes stories and plays field hockey. To see and hear more about their work with Anishinaabemowin visit www.ojibwe.net.
PRESENTATION: TiShkaakamikwe G'nagamaawigo: Singing for Mother Earth
Margaret and her daughter, Fionna, will share what is easy and what can be difficult about teaching Anishinaabemowin in Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi communities, both in schools and at community gatherings. They will share how they have maintained interest in the language in their own home and how and when they practice it as a family and as part of Miskwaasining Nagamojig (The Swamp Singers) hand drum group.
DeLaura Henry Saunders, M.Ed. (Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians)
Mrs. Saunders has a Master of Education degree from Cambridge College, Cambridge, Massachusetts and has worked over 23 years in the field of early childhood education and Language Education. As Director of the Wabinaki Curriculum Development Project, sponsored by the Boston Indian Council Inc., she developed curriculum materials and conducted awareness and implementation training in selected Boston public schools. She has held multiple positions for the MBCI: teacher, education coordinator, director for Head Start Program, division director for the tribe's Early Childhood Education program, and Language Teacher/Trainer for the language program. Currently she is the Coordinator for the Choctaw Tribal Language Program, within the Department of Chahta Immi of MBCI. Her continued creative work has provided invaluable assistance to the ongoing efforts to maintain and nurture the Choctaw language among the Choctaw people. She is married to Cliff Saunders and they have three grown children, and seven grandchildren.
PRESENTATION: I Speak Choctaw but Why Aren't the Kids? Language Speakers' Role in Ensuring Choctaw Language Use Among Our Children
As part of daily life in the Nation, the Choctaw language may be heard in Tribal schools and administrative offices. It is in the communities and homes, though, where the language is most deeply rooted. It is one of few communities in the USA where there is large number of speakers of all ages. However, it is a concern that English is the first language of most young children. Chahta Immi Language program develops strategies and materials to avert this language shift.
Kevin Shendo (Jemez Pueblo)
Lana Toya (Jemez Pueblo)
Kevin Shendo, Director of Education Department, Pueblo of Jemez, oversees a comprehensive tribal education system, early childhood to college/adult learners and maintains a collaborative working relationship between the tribe and its two Charter Schools. He volunteers with the Jemez Native American Youth Empowerment (NAYE) organization, which he co-founded in 1993. He is the current Chair of the New Mexico Indian Education Advisory Council and serves as a Southern Pueblos representative on the 16 member council.
Lana Toya, Early Childhood Program Manager, Pueblo of Jemez, oversees the Walatowa Head Start program, a child development program which serves Jemez children ages 3-5, through a culturally relevant age appropriate curriculum and supplemented with our rich Jemez Language and Culture Curriculum. Serves as Chairperson for the Southwest Consortium of Indian Head Start Programs, Inc., a board of Head Start Directors working to improve and promote services to children, families and communities served by Tribal Head Start programs through training and technical assistance.
PRESENTATION: Asserting Indian Education Sovereignty: Language and Culture as the Foundation for Our Education Systems at the Pueblo of Jemez Community Schools and Programs
The Pueblo of Jemez has continued its traditional way of life, values and culture for centuries. The Hemish people build strong foundations rooted in fundamental skills that are taught only through a unique language, Towa. The Walatowa Head Start unique features include: Transition to a Language Immersion Program staffed by fully fluent Towa speaking staff; curriculum supplemented with Traditional Calendar; locally defined research based practices; collaborative partnership; Towa language and culture curriculum as supplemental curriculum.
Marissa Naranjo (Santa Clara Pueblo)
David Naranjo (Santa Clara Pueblo)
Jeremy Montoya (Pojoaque Pueblo)
Marissa just transferred as an undergraduate junior from Reed College in Portland, Oregon to the University of New Mexico. She is currently majoring in sociology with a minor in Native American Studies. She is passionate about tribal cultural restoration and hopes to impact the future of language initiatives through education. She enjoys meeting new people, being outdoors, and being with family.
David is a Freshman at the University of New Mexico.
Jeremy graduated from Santa Fe Preparatory High School in June 2012.
PRESENTATION: How Do You Say...?: Letting Learners Lead in Language Learning
These are three of the five youth featured in the film, "The Young Ancestors" produced by Aimee Broustra, whose passionate pursuit of learning their Tewa language has profoundly affected their lives. Using ILI's learner-driven Self-Study Course for American Indian Languages (SCAIL) and "How Do You Say?" Learning Guide for individualized study, and working with Mentors they selected to learn Tewa expressions relevant to their lives, they ignited a deep-seated desire to learn to speak their language. They will share their insight into why this project worked for them and hope to inspire other youth and mentors.
Ofelia Zepeda (Tohono O'odham)
Dr. Ofelia Zepeda is a member of the Tohono O'odham Nation and is a Regents' Professor of Linguistics at the University of Arizona and the recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship for her work in American Indian language education and maintenance. Her work in linguistics includes a pedagogical grammar of the O'odham language, A Tohono O'odham Grammar, as well as other topics on Native American language shift, endangerment and documentation. She is also a published poet writing in her language.
PRESENTATION: English is Not Enough: Valuing the Legacy of Heritage Languages
Learning a second language is not detrimental to the development of a human being. This presentation will consider the overall benefits of learning a heritage language. Research on the advantages of being bilingual or multilingual will be considered with special consideration for being bilingual in a heritage language. Conclusion will emphasize that learning a heritage language does not negatively impact the development of English language skills nor create setbacks for academic and professional achievement and that instead benefits students in the long run academically, socially and culturally.
CONFERENCE HOTEL
The symposium will be held at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino which is located at 11000 Broadway SE, (Pueblo of Isleta) Albuquerque, New Mexico 87105, (505) 724-3800 or 1-877-475-3827, www.hardrockcasinoabq.com. Room rate is $99/night plus tax(for single/double occupancy). Mention the "ILIS1012" code or “Indigenous Language Institute". Reservations must be made by September 28, 2012 to guarantee this conference rate.
The hotel has a shuttle to the airport for registered guests. For shuttle call Guest Services at (505) 724-3877, book 24 to 48 hours prior to pick up time.
