1 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:07,440 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Anny and smitha welcome to stuff. I 2 00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:20,159 Speaker 1: never told you a production of iHeartRadio and welcome to 3 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:23,599 Speaker 1: another classic episode. This one's kind of recent, but I 4 00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:26,520 Speaker 1: thought it was relevant and a good time to bring 5 00:00:26,560 --> 00:00:30,000 Speaker 1: it back. It was an episode we did around indigenous 6 00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:33,680 Speaker 1: women's fight to save their languages, and this has been 7 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:38,600 Speaker 1: on my mind for a lot of reasons. We kind 8 00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:42,440 Speaker 1: of discussed this with the movie Prey and the recent 9 00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:47,640 Speaker 1: fictional women around the World episode with Nado. But having 10 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:52,760 Speaker 1: those things that media available and that kind in the 11 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:56,560 Speaker 1: indigenous language. And I also was reading the other day 12 00:00:56,600 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 1: about public media and how they were the first to 13 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:05,959 Speaker 1: kind of lead the way in doing that for their broadcast. 14 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:12,240 Speaker 1: But I also when I was researching this, I stumbled 15 00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:15,240 Speaker 1: across because I haven't watched this, and none of these 16 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:22,720 Speaker 1: responsors for me, but I stumbled across the Disney Plus 17 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:25,880 Speaker 1: show What If, which is a Marvel oh yeah, yeah 18 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:30,600 Speaker 1: show that is like what if this happened kind of thing. 19 00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:36,280 Speaker 1: They recently had an episode that is about what if 20 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:41,880 Speaker 1: the Tester Act had landed, which, if you don't know, 21 00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:43,800 Speaker 1: the test actor is like that space cube that has 22 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:46,400 Speaker 1: a lot of powers. What if it had landed in 23 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:54,960 Speaker 1: hot Ashone Land and uh so the episode is it's 24 00:01:55,000 --> 00:02:03,360 Speaker 1: mostly in the Mohawk language and uish, but they worked 25 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:07,440 Speaker 1: closely with members of the Mohawk Nation for this, and 26 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:09,360 Speaker 1: I just thought it was really interesting. And they also 27 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:14,440 Speaker 1: cast in the main role of Kahori Devy Jacobs, who 28 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:17,919 Speaker 1: is a Mohawk Canadian actress, And so this stuff is 29 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:24,080 Speaker 1: so important. Like I'm glad and sad that is like, 30 00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:27,160 Speaker 1: this is the first the you know, in a lot 31 00:02:27,200 --> 00:02:31,119 Speaker 1: of instances and they're so recent that this is happening. 32 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:34,960 Speaker 1: But I am glad to see that it is happening 33 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 1: and that the fight that these Indigenous women are pursuing 34 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:54,240 Speaker 1: is paying off. Yeah, so please enjoy this classic episode. Hey, 35 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:56,400 Speaker 1: this is Annie Fan Samantha and welcome to Stuff One 36 00:02:56,400 --> 00:02:58,399 Speaker 1: Never Told You, Productuly of iHeartRadio. 37 00:03:07,440 --> 00:03:11,919 Speaker 2: And for our holiday treat I guess episode because we're 38 00:03:11,919 --> 00:03:15,680 Speaker 2: gonna be gone as this is released technically technically, yeah, 39 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:18,160 Speaker 2: I guess it's listened the day before, but. 40 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:19,360 Speaker 3: You know whatever. 41 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:22,600 Speaker 2: Anyway, we wanted to give thanks to the women and 42 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:25,640 Speaker 2: folks from the indigenous communities who have been working hard, 43 00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:29,240 Speaker 2: not only to preserve the land as it was before 44 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:33,040 Speaker 2: the ugliness of colonization and trying to teach the people 45 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 2: around them the dangers of continuing down s that ugly path, 46 00:03:38,480 --> 00:03:43,120 Speaker 2: but also preserving their own culture that these same I 47 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:48,320 Speaker 2: guess colonizers have tried to eradicate and make extinct. And 48 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:50,480 Speaker 2: though there are so many things that we can talk 49 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:53,320 Speaker 2: about under this topic, and probably we'll come back to you, 50 00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:57,640 Speaker 2: honestly today, we thought we would just focus on those 51 00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:01,200 Speaker 2: who've been working hard to preserve their name, native language 52 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:04,080 Speaker 2: and indigenous language. Also, let's go ahead and put this 53 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 2: caveat since this is not our indigenous language slash our 54 00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:11,000 Speaker 2: native tongue, which, by the way, I'm struggling on my 55 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:16,000 Speaker 2: own both Korean and English, so you know, sorry, Yeah, 56 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:20,440 Speaker 2: we may butcher some of these words, and I hate 57 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:22,840 Speaker 2: that so much because I would love to be fluent 58 00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:25,040 Speaker 2: in everything and just perfect at it. But I am 59 00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:29,200 Speaker 2: not so with that. We tried our due diligence in 60 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:32,920 Speaker 2: looking up all of the pronunciations, and sometimes I swear 61 00:04:32,960 --> 00:04:36,320 Speaker 2: to God, I was being gas lit that we should 62 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:39,320 Speaker 2: already know these words, and probably is true we should 63 00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:44,239 Speaker 2: to a certain extent, But anyway, so please be patient 64 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:48,640 Speaker 2: with our very bad pronunciation. Again, as per usual, if 65 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:51,400 Speaker 2: you know these languages and want to share with us 66 00:04:51,440 --> 00:04:56,120 Speaker 2: how to say it correctly. We would gladly, gladly hear 67 00:04:56,160 --> 00:04:58,840 Speaker 2: those because as you know, when it comes to like 68 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:04,640 Speaker 2: Google translation, not the greatest, not the greatest. So but yes, 69 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:07,640 Speaker 2: be forewarned, it's not great. And if you are a 70 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:11,720 Speaker 2: person of the Native community or indigenous community, this might 71 00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:14,840 Speaker 2: be too much for you, I understand. So content warning 72 00:05:14,839 --> 00:05:16,520 Speaker 2: because we do talk a little bit about the ugly 73 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:19,160 Speaker 2: history of it all for the rest of you listen 74 00:05:20,040 --> 00:05:23,320 Speaker 2: and us of course, of course, because we need to 75 00:05:23,400 --> 00:05:25,839 Speaker 2: learn these things. So yeah, we're gonna jump into the 76 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:29,280 Speaker 2: history of how colonizers try to stop the use of 77 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:33,520 Speaker 2: the indigenous languages. So when it comes to this history 78 00:05:33,640 --> 00:05:37,640 Speaker 2: the first peoples of all the lands, probably we know 79 00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:44,080 Speaker 2: it's bloody and horrifying, though children's stories and colonial takes 80 00:05:44,800 --> 00:05:50,000 Speaker 2: downplay the amount of atrocities that occurred then and even now, 81 00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:54,240 Speaker 2: the indigenous community fight to preserve their culture. Yes, I 82 00:05:54,279 --> 00:05:57,200 Speaker 2: think if we talk about the old tale of Thanksgiving 83 00:05:57,360 --> 00:06:00,920 Speaker 2: and all the pilgrims coming to share their food, we 84 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 2: know the true story. It wasn't all that great. We know, 85 00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:06,960 Speaker 2: so just as a reminder, but it isn't that hard 86 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:09,880 Speaker 2: to understand that those in power are still trying to 87 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:12,599 Speaker 2: suppress the original cultures. 88 00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:13,960 Speaker 3: That existed in most places. 89 00:06:14,320 --> 00:06:17,599 Speaker 2: In fact, in some cases and places like the United States, 90 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:22,320 Speaker 2: has spent money trying to erase Indigenous languages. Here's some 91 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:25,720 Speaker 2: information from High Country News written by Rebecca Nagel and 92 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:28,440 Speaker 2: twenty nineteen quote. At the height of the Indian boarding 93 00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:32,039 Speaker 2: school era, between eighteen seventy seven and nineteen eighteen, the 94 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:36,760 Speaker 2: United States allocated two point eight one billion dollars adjusted 95 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:40,880 Speaker 2: for inflation, to support the nation's boarding school infrastructures, an 96 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:45,279 Speaker 2: educational system designed to assimilate Indigenous people into white culture 97 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:48,880 Speaker 2: and destroy native languages. Since two thousand and five, however, 98 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:52,960 Speaker 2: the federal government has only appropriated approximately one hundred and 99 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:57,800 Speaker 2: eighty million for Indigenous language revitalization. So in the article 100 00:06:57,839 --> 00:06:59,800 Speaker 2: they do write about the fact that the government has 101 00:06:59,800 --> 00:07:02,760 Speaker 2: a lotted some funds in order to restore and preserve 102 00:07:02,839 --> 00:07:06,680 Speaker 2: the languages, it isn't anything compared to the amount spent 103 00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:09,320 Speaker 2: to try to eradicate it. And of course this is 104 00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:10,800 Speaker 2: on top of the fact that they first tried to 105 00:07:10,880 --> 00:07:12,800 Speaker 2: kill off and like. 106 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:14,760 Speaker 3: Pretty much do a genocide. 107 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:18,000 Speaker 2: Yes, but that didn't work, so they're like, you know what, 108 00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:21,120 Speaker 2: We'll just make you assimilate and hopefully you'll at least 109 00:07:21,160 --> 00:07:23,600 Speaker 2: forget the culture. But also we should mention the amount 110 00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:26,160 Speaker 2: of money spent within the school systems to try to 111 00:07:26,200 --> 00:07:29,480 Speaker 2: assimilate Native people to the culture of their oppressors. So 112 00:07:29,600 --> 00:07:31,760 Speaker 2: this is what they were doing. In fact, many of 113 00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:34,400 Speaker 2: the schools that were originally intended and operated by the 114 00:07:34,480 --> 00:07:39,560 Speaker 2: Native communities were taken over by wide oppressors a colonizers. 115 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:42,600 Speaker 2: Here are some more information from Nagle's article. During the 116 00:07:42,640 --> 00:07:46,040 Speaker 2: same time period the early nineteen hundreds, Cherokee children were 117 00:07:46,080 --> 00:07:49,040 Speaker 2: also sent to Chilaco and an Indian boarding school on 118 00:07:49,080 --> 00:07:52,600 Speaker 2: the Oklahoma Kansas state line. The models, pioneered by General 119 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:55,600 Speaker 2: Richard Henry Pratt, a veteran of the Indian Wars and 120 00:07:55,720 --> 00:07:59,120 Speaker 2: founder of the notorious Carlisle Indian School, was designed to 121 00:07:59,160 --> 00:08:03,560 Speaker 2: assimilate Native Americans into white society and strip future generations 122 00:08:03,600 --> 00:08:06,800 Speaker 2: of their culture. During the nineteenth and early twentieth century, 123 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:10,160 Speaker 2: an estimated one third of all Native children were forced 124 00:08:10,160 --> 00:08:13,120 Speaker 2: to attend Indian boarding schools, according to a report prepared 125 00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:16,800 Speaker 2: for the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. When 126 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:19,640 Speaker 2: the US created Indian boarding schools. The goal was to 127 00:08:19,720 --> 00:08:23,880 Speaker 2: save money. Then Secretary of Interior Henry Teller estimated that 128 00:08:23,920 --> 00:08:27,880 Speaker 2: assimilating Indians would cost only a fraction of the ongoing 129 00:08:27,920 --> 00:08:31,880 Speaker 2: military conflict with tribes. The children at Indian boarding schools, 130 00:08:31,920 --> 00:08:36,080 Speaker 2: which were chronically underfunded, often lacked basic food and medical care. 131 00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:39,240 Speaker 2: To help fund the schools, children were rented to local 132 00:08:39,320 --> 00:08:44,160 Speaker 2: townspeople for unpaid labor. Still, the US government allocated exponentially 133 00:08:44,160 --> 00:08:46,800 Speaker 2: more money to Indian boarding schools than it has spent 134 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:49,120 Speaker 2: since then on reversing their effects. 135 00:08:49,280 --> 00:08:53,000 Speaker 1: And this practice was happening all over the North American territories. 136 00:08:53,520 --> 00:08:57,160 Speaker 1: Areas in Canada have experienced the same things with similar results. 137 00:08:57,960 --> 00:09:02,840 Speaker 1: Here's a quote from the Harvard Intern National Review. For centuries, 138 00:09:02,880 --> 00:09:06,960 Speaker 1: Canadian government policies have jeopardized Indigenous languages. While there are 139 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:10,640 Speaker 1: more than seventy Indigenous languages currently spoken in Canada, they 140 00:09:10,640 --> 00:09:14,040 Speaker 1: are largely endangered as the majority of them maintained fewer 141 00:09:14,080 --> 00:09:18,199 Speaker 1: than one thousand fluent speakers. From eighteen thirty one until 142 00:09:18,280 --> 00:09:22,920 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety six, the implementation of residential schools prevented Indigenous 143 00:09:22,920 --> 00:09:26,440 Speaker 1: peoples from parenting, educating, and passing on their native language 144 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:30,800 Speaker 1: to their children. Government officials removed Indigenous children from their 145 00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:33,679 Speaker 1: parents on the pretense that the children would benefit from 146 00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:38,480 Speaker 1: assimilating into white Canadian culture through placement in these residential schools. 147 00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:42,240 Speaker 1: When it became evident to parents that residential schools were 148 00:09:42,240 --> 00:09:44,800 Speaker 1: not providing their children with better lives and were instead 149 00:09:44,800 --> 00:09:48,280 Speaker 1: causing trauma, illness, and even death, they were told that 150 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:51,720 Speaker 1: this was simply the price that Aboriginal people had to 151 00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:55,040 Speaker 1: pay as part of the process of becoming civilized. 152 00:09:55,760 --> 00:09:59,160 Speaker 2: So that writer of that article, Catalina Toff, also wrote 153 00:09:59,160 --> 00:10:03,160 Speaker 2: an alarming statistic within the article. She wrote, every two weeks, 154 00:10:03,200 --> 00:10:06,520 Speaker 2: an Indigenous language dies. Some of the languages that have 155 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:10,040 Speaker 2: already disappeared were Inuit languages spoken in the far reaches 156 00:10:10,080 --> 00:10:12,800 Speaker 2: of the Arctic. Others had evolved in the leafy greenery 157 00:10:12,800 --> 00:10:16,559 Speaker 2: of coastal Australia. While they differ in setting, culture and phonetics, 158 00:10:16,840 --> 00:10:19,880 Speaker 2: one aspect that most dead Indigenous languages share is that 159 00:10:19,920 --> 00:10:23,520 Speaker 2: they perished as a result of colonization and the subsequent 160 00:10:23,640 --> 00:10:28,000 Speaker 2: rise of international languages. Yeah, and we spoke about this earlier. 161 00:10:28,040 --> 00:10:31,200 Speaker 2: Oppression and colonization has tried to erase the different languages 162 00:10:31,280 --> 00:10:36,640 Speaker 2: that existed before the quote unquote discovery of these new lands. Today, 163 00:10:36,679 --> 00:10:39,320 Speaker 2: many of these languages are disappearing and less likely to 164 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:43,079 Speaker 2: be heard. So from the podcast All Things Considered, they 165 00:10:43,080 --> 00:10:46,520 Speaker 2: say quote. Language researchers just released the latest version of 166 00:10:46,559 --> 00:10:49,480 Speaker 2: the Ethnologue, which aims to catalog the state of all 167 00:10:49,520 --> 00:10:52,640 Speaker 2: of the world's languages, all seven one hundred and sixty 168 00:10:52,640 --> 00:10:55,760 Speaker 2: four of them. Many of these languages are endangered. Some 169 00:10:55,840 --> 00:10:58,400 Speaker 2: have so few native speakers that you can count them 170 00:10:58,400 --> 00:11:01,839 Speaker 2: on one hand. In the US, for instance, one hundred 171 00:11:01,880 --> 00:11:04,040 Speaker 2: and ninety three of the one hundred and ninety seven 172 00:11:04,080 --> 00:11:08,320 Speaker 2: living languages are endangered. So and from the National Indian 173 00:11:08,360 --> 00:11:13,440 Speaker 2: Council on Aging or NICOA dot org Xevier domingees Rites. 174 00:11:13,760 --> 00:11:17,080 Speaker 2: There are between six thousand to seven thousand oral languages 175 00:11:17,120 --> 00:11:21,760 Speaker 2: spoken worldwide. According to the United Nations, approximately six hundred 176 00:11:21,760 --> 00:11:25,319 Speaker 2: of them have disappeared in the last century. They're disappearing 177 00:11:25,360 --> 00:11:28,000 Speaker 2: at a rate of one language every two weeks. No 178 00:11:28,120 --> 00:11:31,040 Speaker 2: less than forty percent of languages spoken in twenty sixteen 179 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:35,600 Speaker 2: were in danger of disappearing, in many of them indigenous. Presently, 180 00:11:35,760 --> 00:11:38,120 Speaker 2: we're in danger of losing two thousand, six hundred and 181 00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:41,720 Speaker 2: eighty languages. The UN predicts that fifty to ninety percent 182 00:11:41,760 --> 00:11:45,319 Speaker 2: of indigenous languages will disappear by the end of this century, 183 00:11:45,640 --> 00:11:50,120 Speaker 2: being replaced with English, Mandarin, or Spanish. Any language spoken 184 00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:53,400 Speaker 2: by less than ten thousand people is in danger. And 185 00:11:53,480 --> 00:11:56,560 Speaker 2: they go on saying about ninety seven percent of the 186 00:11:56,559 --> 00:12:00,400 Speaker 2: world's population speak only four percent of its languages. Only 187 00:12:00,440 --> 00:12:03,160 Speaker 2: three percent of the world speaks ninety six percent of 188 00:12:03,240 --> 00:12:07,160 Speaker 2: all languages. Most of these languages are spoken by indigenous people. 189 00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:10,000 Speaker 2: There are three hundred and seventy to five hundred million 190 00:12:10,040 --> 00:12:14,280 Speaker 2: Indigenous people in the world, five thousand different indigenous cultures, 191 00:12:14,520 --> 00:12:21,160 Speaker 2: and ninety countries with indigenous communities. Such disproportionate amount of 192 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:26,320 Speaker 2: people who speak these languages to what is disappearing, and 193 00:12:26,360 --> 00:12:29,439 Speaker 2: it's really heartbreaking, and these numbers are alarming, But when 194 00:12:29,440 --> 00:12:32,920 Speaker 2: it comes to preserving or fighting for their community, we 195 00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:36,920 Speaker 2: know is typically those from the indigenous communities that are 196 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:40,040 Speaker 2: working the hardest and getting it done, especially the women. 197 00:12:40,640 --> 00:12:43,000 Speaker 2: There have been a few people we have featured on 198 00:12:43,040 --> 00:12:46,000 Speaker 2: the show that have done this amazing work, including Got 199 00:12:46,040 --> 00:12:46,960 Speaker 2: youa Junie Fox. 200 00:12:47,320 --> 00:12:48,240 Speaker 3: You can go and check. 201 00:12:48,040 --> 00:12:50,880 Speaker 2: Out her interview, which was amazing. Who's not only working 202 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:53,400 Speaker 2: to preserve her people's culture in a way of life, 203 00:12:53,440 --> 00:12:55,800 Speaker 2: but making sure to pass it down to her family 204 00:12:55,840 --> 00:12:57,640 Speaker 2: as well. So she featured her daughter and some of 205 00:12:57,640 --> 00:12:59,800 Speaker 2: these amazing ceremonies. I gotta go and listen. 206 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:12,600 Speaker 1: All over the world, the women of the indigenous community 207 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:15,520 Speaker 1: have been the very vain of continuing to keep their 208 00:13:15,600 --> 00:13:18,960 Speaker 1: legacy alive. They have understood the depth and importance of 209 00:13:19,040 --> 00:13:22,080 Speaker 1: language and the need to preserve it. As Ruth H. 210 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:25,199 Speaker 1: Robertson of the Dakota Nation wrote in her article titled 211 00:13:25,360 --> 00:13:29,840 Speaker 1: Language of Spirit for atmos Dot Earth quote, language holds 212 00:13:29,840 --> 00:13:32,680 Speaker 1: the identity of a people. Within a language, you discover 213 00:13:32,760 --> 00:13:35,720 Speaker 1: how it speakers view the world. Within the Dakota language, 214 00:13:35,760 --> 00:13:39,479 Speaker 1: you will see how we understand landscapes, embrace the relatedness 215 00:13:39,480 --> 00:13:42,880 Speaker 1: of all things in use, sex and gender origin stories 216 00:13:42,920 --> 00:13:46,360 Speaker 1: are hidden within place names. Our a very historical record 217 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:50,199 Speaker 1: is revealed. Our language evolved from the lives we lived 218 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:53,360 Speaker 1: in our lands for millennia. But what may be most 219 00:13:53,440 --> 00:13:56,719 Speaker 1: overlooked is the importance of language to the spirituality of 220 00:13:56,760 --> 00:14:01,319 Speaker 1: a people. Among the Santis, medicine people have their own language, 221 00:14:01,520 --> 00:14:05,240 Speaker 1: this sacred ceremonial tongue passed down through the ages by 222 00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:09,400 Speaker 1: ancestors and dreams granted medicine, people the ability to speak 223 00:14:09,440 --> 00:14:12,840 Speaker 1: to the deities of old, perform magic, see visions, and 224 00:14:12,880 --> 00:14:16,559 Speaker 1: create miracles. When the colonizer attempted to take our language 225 00:14:16,559 --> 00:14:19,120 Speaker 1: from us, they were robbing us of more than our culture, 226 00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:23,080 Speaker 1: history and unique identity. They were taking away our ability 227 00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:25,920 Speaker 1: to commune with our ancestors and pray to our gods. 228 00:14:26,240 --> 00:14:28,720 Speaker 1: They were not just stealing our voices and our abilities 229 00:14:28,760 --> 00:14:31,800 Speaker 1: to connect with our grandmothers and grandfathers. They were cutting 230 00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:34,200 Speaker 1: our soul ties, right. 231 00:14:34,240 --> 00:14:36,600 Speaker 2: And y'all, I should go back and find this article 232 00:14:36,640 --> 00:14:40,080 Speaker 2: that we just mentioned, because she writes so beautifully about 233 00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:42,640 Speaker 2: what she sees as the depth of language. And I 234 00:14:42,680 --> 00:14:45,360 Speaker 2: think when we all talk about it in a certain manner, 235 00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:48,640 Speaker 2: like I as I'm trying to learn Korean again and 236 00:14:48,760 --> 00:14:51,640 Speaker 2: really feeling like part of my identity has been stripped 237 00:14:51,680 --> 00:14:53,520 Speaker 2: of me because I forgot. It's no one's fault, But 238 00:14:53,760 --> 00:14:57,880 Speaker 2: you know, assimilation in general, like the depth of understanding 239 00:14:57,880 --> 00:15:00,480 Speaker 2: yourself a little bit through your own language, and how 240 00:15:00,520 --> 00:15:03,000 Speaker 2: powerful that is. So, you know, and she is one 241 00:15:03,040 --> 00:15:06,080 Speaker 2: of many who have struggled, not only to preserve a 242 00:15:06,160 --> 00:15:09,640 Speaker 2: language that call nizers have tried to erase, but and 243 00:15:09,760 --> 00:15:13,520 Speaker 2: has seen firsthand the painful trauma that comes with this 244 00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:16,720 Speaker 2: type of oppression. She mentions in her article the travesty 245 00:15:16,760 --> 00:15:19,000 Speaker 2: of boarding schools, which we kind of mentioned before, that 246 00:15:19,120 --> 00:15:22,640 Speaker 2: abused Indigenous children in order to force them to assimilate 247 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:25,600 Speaker 2: to those who violently stole their land. So such a 248 00:15:25,640 --> 00:15:29,320 Speaker 2: bigger conversation about what this is. I know our listeners 249 00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:33,359 Speaker 2: already understand and know this, but the depth of deprivation 250 00:15:33,520 --> 00:15:36,440 Speaker 2: it is to strip someone of their native language, and 251 00:15:36,480 --> 00:15:37,680 Speaker 2: why they're doing it. 252 00:15:37,680 --> 00:15:38,360 Speaker 3: It is power. 253 00:15:38,840 --> 00:15:40,720 Speaker 2: And here's some other women that we want to talk 254 00:15:40,760 --> 00:15:44,560 Speaker 2: about that I feel like we should celebrate and maybe 255 00:15:44,560 --> 00:15:47,880 Speaker 2: follow and watch what they're doing. Obviously, this is a 256 00:15:48,040 --> 00:15:52,200 Speaker 2: very small list, smallest because this originated from me wanting 257 00:15:52,240 --> 00:15:55,520 Speaker 2: to talk about specific women to oh damn, this needs 258 00:15:55,520 --> 00:15:57,720 Speaker 2: to be a whole episode slash. This is still not 259 00:15:58,120 --> 00:15:59,680 Speaker 2: could be a whole series, but I'm not going to 260 00:15:59,760 --> 00:16:00,000 Speaker 2: do that. 261 00:16:01,280 --> 00:16:02,160 Speaker 3: I'm not going to do that. 262 00:16:05,040 --> 00:16:05,800 Speaker 2: I already know. 263 00:16:08,360 --> 00:16:09,720 Speaker 3: I didn't do that anyway. 264 00:16:09,840 --> 00:16:11,720 Speaker 2: So we do want to talk about a few of 265 00:16:11,720 --> 00:16:14,840 Speaker 2: the women that have been spotlighted and talked about, and 266 00:16:14,880 --> 00:16:16,960 Speaker 2: we want to talk more about as they do this 267 00:16:17,040 --> 00:16:20,320 Speaker 2: amazing work and One of the most famous women who 268 00:16:20,720 --> 00:16:24,200 Speaker 2: made sure to put a spotlight on this issue was 269 00:16:24,280 --> 00:16:26,240 Speaker 2: Marie Wilcox, and you can go look her up and 270 00:16:26,280 --> 00:16:29,080 Speaker 2: she's done some amazing work. Wilcox was featured in several 271 00:16:29,120 --> 00:16:33,160 Speaker 2: films and articles in her pursuit of preserving her people's language. 272 00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:37,480 Speaker 2: Wilcox was the last to speak fluent Wochumney, but she 273 00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:40,320 Speaker 2: made sure she wouldn't be the last when she goes, 274 00:16:40,320 --> 00:16:42,280 Speaker 2: and she did die a couple of years ago. For 275 00:16:42,360 --> 00:16:45,960 Speaker 2: over ten years before her death, she created a dictionary 276 00:16:46,240 --> 00:16:48,560 Speaker 2: for the language, and she made it to teach her 277 00:16:48,600 --> 00:16:52,560 Speaker 2: people and her family the language of Wokchumney. Not only 278 00:16:52,600 --> 00:16:55,240 Speaker 2: did she create a written document for it to be preserved, 279 00:16:55,880 --> 00:16:58,640 Speaker 2: but during her lifetime she taught a lot of classes 280 00:16:58,640 --> 00:17:01,080 Speaker 2: throughout her community, making sure that it is that it 281 00:17:01,080 --> 00:17:03,960 Speaker 2: would keep going. In twenty fourteen, she was documented by 282 00:17:03,960 --> 00:17:07,159 Speaker 2: The New York Times while she was doing her important work. 283 00:17:07,440 --> 00:17:10,320 Speaker 2: In it, she says, quote, it's sad. It just seems 284 00:17:10,359 --> 00:17:13,199 Speaker 2: weird that I am the last one. And I don't know, 285 00:17:13,280 --> 00:17:15,639 Speaker 2: It's just it'll just be gone one of these days. 286 00:17:15,680 --> 00:17:18,520 Speaker 2: Maybe I don't know, it might go on and on. 287 00:17:18,720 --> 00:17:20,800 Speaker 2: And I believe thanks to her, it will go on 288 00:17:20,880 --> 00:17:23,440 Speaker 2: and on. Now her story is pretty incredible, and you 289 00:17:23,480 --> 00:17:27,199 Speaker 2: can find her documentary online is there for you, And 290 00:17:27,200 --> 00:17:29,439 Speaker 2: then of course a lot of YouTube clips that you 291 00:17:29,480 --> 00:17:32,159 Speaker 2: can watch, and during her interviews, and she's really like 292 00:17:32,480 --> 00:17:35,560 Speaker 2: passionate and heartbroken that she could be the last one 293 00:17:35,880 --> 00:17:39,119 Speaker 2: to speak this beautiful language. But as of now, the 294 00:17:39,200 --> 00:17:43,640 Speaker 2: dictionary has been copyrighted, but it hasn't been published yet, 295 00:17:43,720 --> 00:17:46,119 Speaker 2: and I'm not really sure. I didn't go it looked 296 00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:50,320 Speaker 2: deeper into us to why it hasn't been But I'm 297 00:17:50,359 --> 00:17:52,200 Speaker 2: glad at the very least it was written because she 298 00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:55,520 Speaker 2: did pass away, I believe a few years ago, and 299 00:17:55,760 --> 00:17:58,160 Speaker 2: the fact that she was able to do this during 300 00:17:58,200 --> 00:18:01,800 Speaker 2: her lifetime really mean so much. And her legacy obviously 301 00:18:02,359 --> 00:18:04,040 Speaker 2: continues to live on. So if you get a chance, 302 00:18:04,040 --> 00:18:06,880 Speaker 2: you should go watch her documentary, which I'm glad it exists. 303 00:18:07,359 --> 00:18:11,439 Speaker 2: These are the moments where I'm like, yeah, damn, technology 304 00:18:11,480 --> 00:18:13,920 Speaker 2: is good, media is good. We need these things preserved. 305 00:18:13,920 --> 00:18:16,040 Speaker 2: That hope that we can keep these things preserved. So 306 00:18:16,400 --> 00:18:20,560 Speaker 2: also in twenty twenty, the CBC celebrated several Indigenous women 307 00:18:20,720 --> 00:18:23,560 Speaker 2: for their work in preserving their native language. We're only 308 00:18:23,600 --> 00:18:26,200 Speaker 2: going to highlight a couple and you can actually look 309 00:18:26,240 --> 00:18:28,320 Speaker 2: at them up. They did some amazing stuff. There's a 310 00:18:28,359 --> 00:18:31,119 Speaker 2: lot of people on there. So first we're going to 311 00:18:31,119 --> 00:18:34,520 Speaker 2: talk about Belinda Daniels. Daniels is the founder of Nahiook 312 00:18:34,600 --> 00:18:39,160 Speaker 2: Language Experience, which offers pre language camps and monthly language workshops. 313 00:18:39,720 --> 00:18:42,240 Speaker 2: In the article, she says, quote, I really believe that 314 00:18:42,280 --> 00:18:44,560 Speaker 2: the spirit of the Creed language chose me to do 315 00:18:44,600 --> 00:18:47,679 Speaker 2: this work, and I do this work to create awareness 316 00:18:47,840 --> 00:18:51,640 Speaker 2: that there are Indigenous peoples living here still speaking their language. 317 00:18:52,119 --> 00:18:55,520 Speaker 2: Daniels is also an educator and she actually did her 318 00:18:55,560 --> 00:19:00,720 Speaker 2: PhD on language reclamation, so she told CBC, quote, when 319 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:03,800 Speaker 2: we reclaim our language, we reclaim who we are and 320 00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:08,280 Speaker 2: we reinstate that we belong here. So language is practicing sovereignty. 321 00:19:08,480 --> 00:19:12,359 Speaker 2: Language rights are inherent. The creator gave us this language. 322 00:19:12,440 --> 00:19:14,879 Speaker 2: We do not have to wait for Canada's approval to 323 00:19:14,920 --> 00:19:17,639 Speaker 2: speak out languages. But Canada does have a duty to 324 00:19:17,640 --> 00:19:21,240 Speaker 2: take necessary action to protect indigenous languages. And I think 325 00:19:21,280 --> 00:19:23,840 Speaker 2: one of the things that I didn't mention earlier is 326 00:19:23,880 --> 00:19:26,240 Speaker 2: the fact that a lot of these languages and a 327 00:19:26,280 --> 00:19:30,440 Speaker 2: lot of these nations and communities are not actually being 328 00:19:30,520 --> 00:19:33,359 Speaker 2: recognized by the government, which is partially why they're not 329 00:19:33,400 --> 00:19:37,800 Speaker 2: being preserved. So a big conversation about it being legitimate. 330 00:19:37,880 --> 00:19:39,560 Speaker 2: It has to do with those numbers about like it 331 00:19:39,600 --> 00:19:42,080 Speaker 2: has to be I think more than one hundred thousand 332 00:19:42,119 --> 00:19:44,440 Speaker 2: people speaking or something along those lines to be officially 333 00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:46,840 Speaker 2: a language, which is really hard when you have you know, 334 00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:52,520 Speaker 2: decimated entire populations of people or you know, completely drowned 335 00:19:52,520 --> 00:19:55,080 Speaker 2: out their language so they can't speak it. So so 336 00:19:55,160 --> 00:19:58,000 Speaker 2: many things to that. So that's also a bigger part 337 00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:00,480 Speaker 2: of the conversation that we're not having on this episodes, 338 00:20:00,520 --> 00:20:02,600 Speaker 2: specifically something to happen in the back of your mind 339 00:20:02,600 --> 00:20:07,080 Speaker 2: when it comes to indigenous issues point blank, like how 340 00:20:07,320 --> 00:20:10,000 Speaker 2: are they recognized? Are they even recognized, and why aren't 341 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:13,560 Speaker 2: they being recognized. Also featured was doctor Mary and Iguaji 342 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:17,320 Speaker 2: Corpierre of the wikuama Kwang First Nation. She's been teaching 343 00:20:17,880 --> 00:20:21,879 Speaker 2: the nishnaben Win for over thirty years. She has been 344 00:20:21,880 --> 00:20:24,520 Speaker 2: one of the editors in the nishapin Win, Ottawa and 345 00:20:24,600 --> 00:20:26,199 Speaker 2: Easter Ajobwoit Dictionary. 346 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:27,640 Speaker 3: This dictionary is something she's. 347 00:20:27,560 --> 00:20:30,080 Speaker 2: Been working on since the late nineties and it makes 348 00:20:30,119 --> 00:20:33,200 Speaker 2: me sad to say that's about thirty years adding new 349 00:20:33,240 --> 00:20:36,879 Speaker 2: words as she's done the research throughout her time, and 350 00:20:36,880 --> 00:20:40,480 Speaker 2: she's been traveling to like five different communities to continue 351 00:20:40,520 --> 00:20:43,040 Speaker 2: to add these words, and her work has been featured 352 00:20:43,040 --> 00:20:46,440 Speaker 2: in different Indigenous panels and presentations, so she's doing a lot. 353 00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:50,360 Speaker 2: She's been teaching these languages as well as making sure 354 00:20:50,400 --> 00:20:52,280 Speaker 2: that they are preserved. And I think that's been a theme. 355 00:20:52,320 --> 00:20:54,120 Speaker 2: You'll see that as a theme throughout what they are 356 00:20:54,160 --> 00:20:57,159 Speaker 2: trying to have it written. And we've talked about this 357 00:20:57,240 --> 00:20:59,439 Speaker 2: in like first how important. 358 00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:02,000 Speaker 3: That really is. So these women have been doing that work. 359 00:21:02,280 --> 00:21:06,640 Speaker 2: The anetan Nobimoim community, which is around the northern areas 360 00:21:06,640 --> 00:21:09,800 Speaker 2: and they do stretch into the Canadian areas as well, 361 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:13,119 Speaker 2: have to come together to preserve their endangered language as well. 362 00:21:13,320 --> 00:21:16,920 Speaker 2: Older residents of the community have come together to take classes, 363 00:21:17,040 --> 00:21:19,520 Speaker 2: record their words and meanings, and have found a better 364 00:21:19,600 --> 00:21:24,800 Speaker 2: understanding of themselves and their culture. One Michigan publisher, Bridge Michigan, 365 00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:28,760 Speaker 2: interviewed several people in the community, including Brindan his Song, 366 00:21:29,000 --> 00:21:32,440 Speaker 2: who talked about her experiences and remembering her great grandparents, 367 00:21:32,560 --> 00:21:35,960 Speaker 2: who are the last fluently speaking people of their language. 368 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:37,960 Speaker 2: She told the Bridge quote this is something that is 369 00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:40,520 Speaker 2: important to me to be able to share with my grandkids. 370 00:21:41,040 --> 00:21:43,439 Speaker 2: Is our language, and I feel like we've been robbed 371 00:21:43,440 --> 00:21:45,960 Speaker 2: of it, And she continues, it's a slow process, but 372 00:21:46,040 --> 00:21:48,080 Speaker 2: it's worth it. It's helping me find out who I 373 00:21:48,160 --> 00:21:50,600 Speaker 2: am and where I'm supposed to be in this world. 374 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:53,560 Speaker 2: And it's such a beautiful story about how they've all 375 00:21:53,560 --> 00:21:57,240 Speaker 2: connected together as a community and realizing that it's getting 376 00:21:57,320 --> 00:22:00,639 Speaker 2: lost and making sure that they are not only teaching 377 00:22:00,680 --> 00:22:03,119 Speaker 2: each other, that they're teaching their kids. 378 00:22:03,320 --> 00:22:04,760 Speaker 3: So I thought it was very beautiful. 379 00:22:05,119 --> 00:22:07,800 Speaker 2: And then there's so many like her trying to preserve 380 00:22:07,920 --> 00:22:12,400 Speaker 2: their culture. In Hawaii, they have experienced this way too often. 381 00:22:12,960 --> 00:22:17,040 Speaker 2: On the island of Oahu, the Oleailo Or language was 382 00:22:17,119 --> 00:22:21,119 Speaker 2: nearly extinct and is still not considered safe, but it 383 00:22:21,160 --> 00:22:25,360 Speaker 2: has become more accessible through the teachings of native schools. 384 00:22:25,880 --> 00:22:28,480 Speaker 1: Here's a bit of history from a National Geographic article 385 00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:32,280 Speaker 1: written by aliong in twenty twenty three. Quote. By the 386 00:22:32,359 --> 00:22:35,680 Speaker 1: end of the nineteenth century, literacy in Hawaii in Olailo 387 00:22:35,880 --> 00:22:39,919 Speaker 1: spelled Hawaii reached an astonishing high of over ninety percent. 388 00:22:40,240 --> 00:22:43,480 Speaker 1: This was largely thinks the public education system founded in 389 00:22:43,560 --> 00:22:48,400 Speaker 1: eighteen forty by King Comea Hemeia the Third, the third 390 00:22:48,520 --> 00:22:52,000 Speaker 1: king of Hawaii, fifty eight years before the American invasion 391 00:22:52,119 --> 00:22:55,720 Speaker 1: and annexation. It was one of the highest literacy rates 392 00:22:55,720 --> 00:22:58,520 Speaker 1: in the world at the time and still an impressive figure. 393 00:22:58,960 --> 00:23:02,000 Speaker 1: In twenty twenty, data from the United States Department of 394 00:23:02,080 --> 00:23:05,240 Speaker 1: Education showed that fifty four percent of adults age sixteen 395 00:23:05,240 --> 00:23:10,400 Speaker 1: to seventy four lack literacy proficiency. And it continues quote. 396 00:23:10,520 --> 00:23:13,840 Speaker 1: When the monarchy was overthrown in eighteen ninety three, a 397 00:23:13,960 --> 00:23:17,080 Speaker 1: law was enacted to make English the language of instruction 398 00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:21,760 Speaker 1: in all schools. Though Olilo was not outlawed, kids were 399 00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:25,120 Speaker 1: disciplined for speaking it in schools. Those kids were conditioned 400 00:23:25,119 --> 00:23:27,919 Speaker 1: to believe it was shameful long after they needed to. 401 00:23:28,080 --> 00:23:31,439 Speaker 1: Many adults spoke Oleilo only in private and refused to 402 00:23:31,480 --> 00:23:33,320 Speaker 1: teach their kids. 403 00:23:33,400 --> 00:23:37,000 Speaker 2: Right And much like the history throughout all of colonization, 404 00:23:37,280 --> 00:23:40,800 Speaker 2: indigenous people were being abused and forced to assimilate to 405 00:23:40,920 --> 00:23:44,000 Speaker 2: the oppressors. But you know, the native people were able 406 00:23:44,040 --> 00:23:46,320 Speaker 2: to actually push back. Here's a bit more from that 407 00:23:46,359 --> 00:23:50,280 Speaker 2: same article. After almost one hundred years of suppression, Hawaiian 408 00:23:50,440 --> 00:23:53,240 Speaker 2: used a letter renaissance of dance, music and language in 409 00:23:53,280 --> 00:23:56,679 Speaker 2: the nineteen seventies. In nineteen seventy eight, Olailo was declared 410 00:23:56,720 --> 00:23:59,880 Speaker 2: the state's official language along with English, and a law 411 00:24:00,119 --> 00:24:03,520 Speaker 2: undoing the Olelo band in schools were passed. Recordings were 412 00:24:03,560 --> 00:24:06,359 Speaker 2: made of the very few native speakers left, and the 413 00:24:06,440 --> 00:24:09,800 Speaker 2: new Papa or newspapers served an important role in restoring 414 00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:13,560 Speaker 2: lost knowledge as in fact, there's a whole musical dedicated 415 00:24:13,600 --> 00:24:17,520 Speaker 2: to the new PayPal and like how significant it was too, 416 00:24:17,640 --> 00:24:23,920 Speaker 2: changing and preserving the languages. And they have created immersion 417 00:24:23,960 --> 00:24:27,440 Speaker 2: schools which offer native language classes and promote the use 418 00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:30,359 Speaker 2: of Alilo. But of course the effects of racism and 419 00:24:30,359 --> 00:24:33,800 Speaker 2: suppression still lingers. I mean, just look at the current 420 00:24:33,800 --> 00:24:36,879 Speaker 2: status of politics today. It is encouraging to see the 421 00:24:36,960 --> 00:24:40,280 Speaker 2: many who have continued to bring awareness and teach others 422 00:24:40,440 --> 00:24:43,280 Speaker 2: about the origins. And we're going to actually talk a 423 00:24:43,320 --> 00:24:46,119 Speaker 2: little more about who they were influenced by, which is 424 00:24:46,160 --> 00:24:48,520 Speaker 2: the Maori in New Zealand, and they were the ones 425 00:24:48,560 --> 00:24:52,959 Speaker 2: that really really pushed this specific type of learning and 426 00:24:53,040 --> 00:24:55,800 Speaker 2: in a way that they could preserve and they did preserve. 427 00:24:55,400 --> 00:24:57,000 Speaker 3: The Maori language, which is amazing. 428 00:24:57,320 --> 00:24:59,920 Speaker 2: But yeah, so like it's incredible because this is emerg 429 00:25:00,200 --> 00:25:03,160 Speaker 2: school was a language reset like it's kind of like, yes, 430 00:25:03,600 --> 00:25:07,200 Speaker 2: so it's not I don't think. I think it's preserved 431 00:25:07,200 --> 00:25:09,399 Speaker 2: it really well, but it's still not out of the 432 00:25:09,440 --> 00:25:12,879 Speaker 2: danger zone essentially, but it's working. And then we have 433 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:16,200 Speaker 2: the women of Guyana trying to save their native language 434 00:25:16,240 --> 00:25:16,800 Speaker 2: as well. 435 00:25:16,880 --> 00:25:17,440 Speaker 3: So Althea. 436 00:25:17,480 --> 00:25:20,159 Speaker 2: Harding was featured in Mongo Bay dot Com for her 437 00:25:20,240 --> 00:25:23,359 Speaker 2: work and trying to preserve the Kreb language. In fact, 438 00:25:23,440 --> 00:25:25,640 Speaker 2: in the twenty twenty one article, they noted that only 439 00:25:25,800 --> 00:25:30,760 Speaker 2: ten people could actually speak the language fluently. The primary 440 00:25:30,760 --> 00:25:34,240 Speaker 2: school teacher, Harding returned to her village and realized the 441 00:25:34,320 --> 00:25:38,640 Speaker 2: dire need to preserve her language for that culture. She 442 00:25:38,880 --> 00:25:41,439 Speaker 2: like many of the others, has planned to create the 443 00:25:41,560 --> 00:25:44,840 Speaker 2: Koreb Language Dictionary, and she was able to receive a 444 00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:48,440 Speaker 2: grant to be a part of the Conservation International Indigenous 445 00:25:48,440 --> 00:25:52,320 Speaker 2: Women's Fellowship Program, and she told Mongo Bay dot Com, 446 00:25:52,359 --> 00:25:55,080 Speaker 2: I was elated because as a part of my project proposal, 447 00:25:55,600 --> 00:25:59,720 Speaker 2: I included plans for a careb revitalization project. The language 448 00:25:59,720 --> 00:26:02,119 Speaker 2: is not here and I want to ensure our children 449 00:26:02,200 --> 00:26:05,080 Speaker 2: can speak fluently in the language before it's too late. 450 00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:09,320 Speaker 2: And then the article continues. Her Women's Empowerment Project commenced 451 00:26:09,359 --> 00:26:12,119 Speaker 2: in mid twenty twenty one, with more than two dozen women, 452 00:26:12,240 --> 00:26:15,840 Speaker 2: mainly mothers, participating. The women are the bedrock of the 453 00:26:15,880 --> 00:26:18,560 Speaker 2: family and I know with their influence the language can 454 00:26:18,640 --> 00:26:22,040 Speaker 2: be saved, she said. Harding described the women of Kobina 455 00:26:22,080 --> 00:26:25,919 Speaker 2: as ambitious and progressive individuals, go getters who don't just 456 00:26:25,960 --> 00:26:29,800 Speaker 2: sit around. Our women are strong, independent and determined. So 457 00:26:29,840 --> 00:26:32,040 Speaker 2: I know they will ensure that the language is handed 458 00:26:32,080 --> 00:26:34,679 Speaker 2: down to the use of this village, she added, So 459 00:26:34,720 --> 00:26:37,080 Speaker 2: I really love that, and I don't I didn't see 460 00:26:37,080 --> 00:26:39,440 Speaker 2: an update about what was happening because it's been several years. 461 00:26:39,520 --> 00:26:41,120 Speaker 3: I know. One of the big conversations she. 462 00:26:41,119 --> 00:26:43,040 Speaker 2: Had was about the fact that a lot of it 463 00:26:43,119 --> 00:26:46,680 Speaker 2: had to be done remotely, since. 464 00:26:46,480 --> 00:26:49,639 Speaker 3: It was, you know, all the best that was happening 465 00:26:49,680 --> 00:26:50,200 Speaker 3: at that point. 466 00:26:51,200 --> 00:26:54,000 Speaker 2: And as we were talking about the Mayori before, many 467 00:26:54,359 --> 00:26:57,240 Speaker 2: look towards the works of the Maori people who have 468 00:26:57,359 --> 00:27:00,560 Speaker 2: worked tirelessly to preserve their culture and their Lafe language. 469 00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:04,359 Speaker 2: In another National Geographic article titled the Mayor saved their 470 00:27:04,440 --> 00:27:07,800 Speaker 2: language from extinction and Here's how they talk about the 471 00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:11,280 Speaker 2: revolution it took for them to rebel against the oppressive 472 00:27:11,320 --> 00:27:14,800 Speaker 2: government that tried to decimate the native culture. And if 473 00:27:14,800 --> 00:27:17,080 Speaker 2: you look up at any of the videos of this time, 474 00:27:17,440 --> 00:27:20,119 Speaker 2: they are like rock star video at least like a 475 00:27:20,200 --> 00:27:23,240 Speaker 2: music video towering there, you get really pumped. I'm like, yeah, 476 00:27:23,680 --> 00:27:26,639 Speaker 2: go at them. Come on, so you have time go 477 00:27:26,680 --> 00:27:29,560 Speaker 2: look this up. So their movement, which began in the 478 00:27:29,640 --> 00:27:33,399 Speaker 2: nineteen seventies, is an inspiration to many around the world. 479 00:27:33,720 --> 00:27:36,520 Speaker 2: Here's some information from that article quote. In the early 480 00:27:36,600 --> 00:27:41,240 Speaker 2: nineteen seventies, a contingent of young, urban and university educated 481 00:27:41,320 --> 00:27:44,920 Speaker 2: Maori began to form a movement in the air tourara 482 00:27:45,080 --> 00:27:49,960 Speaker 2: I so sorry the Tearo word for New Zealand. These 483 00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:54,879 Speaker 2: activists call themselves not Tomato or Young Warriors. Along with 484 00:27:54,960 --> 00:27:57,920 Speaker 2: other regional groups, they organize against the New Zealand government's 485 00:27:57,920 --> 00:28:02,280 Speaker 2: marginalization and force assimilation of married communities, starting with policies 486 00:28:02,440 --> 00:28:05,520 Speaker 2: designed to stem the use of terio Maori. And the 487 00:28:05,600 --> 00:28:09,800 Speaker 2: article continues. Dame Iritani taal Irani was a founder and 488 00:28:09,880 --> 00:28:13,600 Speaker 2: instrumental leader of the movement's first major success, cohangar Reo, 489 00:28:14,200 --> 00:28:17,280 Speaker 2: opened in nineteen eighty two. The Cohanga Reo model was 490 00:28:17,280 --> 00:28:20,800 Speaker 2: one of commitment, parents and Toddlers were expected to speak 491 00:28:20,840 --> 00:28:24,359 Speaker 2: only tereo, both in the classroom and at home, and 492 00:28:24,440 --> 00:28:28,720 Speaker 2: the curriculum focused solely on Maori history and culture. Elders 493 00:28:28,720 --> 00:28:32,439 Speaker 2: and other proficient language speakers led the class, translated in 494 00:28:32,520 --> 00:28:36,240 Speaker 2: English to language nests. The Cohanngo Reo was the first 495 00:28:36,320 --> 00:28:39,240 Speaker 2: program of its kind to use total language and cultural 496 00:28:39,280 --> 00:28:44,560 Speaker 2: immersion for married communities. The schools were a revelation, according 497 00:28:44,600 --> 00:28:47,680 Speaker 2: to the Tairi Rainy. The program started with five schools 498 00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:51,240 Speaker 2: and within three years expanded to more than three hundred locations. 499 00:28:51,280 --> 00:28:55,240 Speaker 2: The rapid spread of Kahango Reo marked an unprecedented success 500 00:28:55,280 --> 00:29:00,000 Speaker 2: of cultural regularmation for Tareri Raini. It showed the widespread 501 00:29:00,080 --> 00:29:03,440 Speaker 2: pent up desire Miori families felt to educate their children 502 00:29:03,480 --> 00:29:07,480 Speaker 2: according to their own, non colonial standards. The families on 503 00:29:07,480 --> 00:29:10,240 Speaker 2: the ground are fundamentally the basis for learning the language, 504 00:29:10,240 --> 00:29:12,800 Speaker 2: she says. The difference maker, she said, was that the 505 00:29:12,960 --> 00:29:17,680 Speaker 2: Congo Reo, particularly in the early years, were entirely community led. 506 00:29:18,120 --> 00:29:21,480 Speaker 2: Families raised the money to rent or buy classroom spaces 507 00:29:21,520 --> 00:29:27,040 Speaker 2: and volunteers planned and taught classes. Yeah and the language 508 00:29:27,080 --> 00:29:31,320 Speaker 2: news as a system were really very very successful. The 509 00:29:31,360 --> 00:29:35,239 Speaker 2: classes and written documents were also very important pieces of 510 00:29:35,280 --> 00:29:39,920 Speaker 2: this preservation puzzle, and I think it's really inspiring to 511 00:29:39,960 --> 00:29:43,920 Speaker 2: note that it worked. We actually have an example of 512 00:29:43,960 --> 00:29:46,400 Speaker 2: how they were able to preserve this. I think some 513 00:29:46,440 --> 00:29:51,880 Speaker 2: of the biggest problems is the decimation and the spreading 514 00:29:51,960 --> 00:29:55,440 Speaker 2: of the indigenous people. The way that we talked about 515 00:29:55,440 --> 00:29:57,360 Speaker 2: the trail of tears and how they were all kind 516 00:29:57,360 --> 00:30:05,880 Speaker 2: of just spread all over that really unfortunately divided its 517 00:30:05,920 --> 00:30:09,120 Speaker 2: abilities to be able to do these immersive classes, although 518 00:30:09,160 --> 00:30:12,440 Speaker 2: we're still seeing examples of it in pockets and different 519 00:30:12,720 --> 00:30:16,680 Speaker 2: Native communities, which is amazing to watch and see. And 520 00:30:16,760 --> 00:30:21,400 Speaker 2: with that, I think part of what we're looking at 521 00:30:21,440 --> 00:30:24,360 Speaker 2: with the age of media and technology is helping to 522 00:30:24,480 --> 00:30:29,400 Speaker 2: grow and help spread messages globally, which is great, and 523 00:30:29,480 --> 00:30:32,680 Speaker 2: many have started using them to their advantage. Yes. 524 00:30:33,320 --> 00:30:36,480 Speaker 1: In fact, a trio of Apache women have already started 525 00:30:36,520 --> 00:30:40,120 Speaker 1: working with tech to record the language from fizz dot org. 526 00:30:40,280 --> 00:30:40,640 Speaker 3: Quote. 527 00:30:40,800 --> 00:30:43,600 Speaker 1: In one such endeavor, three Native American women rack their 528 00:30:43,600 --> 00:30:46,280 Speaker 1: brains as they gather around a computer trying to remember 529 00:30:46,320 --> 00:30:50,160 Speaker 1: and record dozens of Apache language words related to everyday 530 00:30:50,200 --> 00:30:53,480 Speaker 1: activity such as cooking and eating. They are creating an 531 00:30:53,520 --> 00:30:57,720 Speaker 1: online English Apache dictionary just one of several projects working 532 00:30:57,720 --> 00:31:03,120 Speaker 1: to preserve endangered indigenous languages in the United States. The 533 00:31:03,240 --> 00:31:07,080 Speaker 1: article continues teacher Joscelyn Johnson and two of her colleagues 534 00:31:07,200 --> 00:31:10,840 Speaker 1: validate the definition of the word Apache word kappas, which 535 00:31:10,880 --> 00:31:14,640 Speaker 1: means potato in English. Quote. The applications in the written 536 00:31:14,720 --> 00:31:17,400 Speaker 1: language are good for a non speaker, at least they'll 537 00:31:17,400 --> 00:31:19,880 Speaker 1: have a museum of it where they can go for reference. 538 00:31:19,880 --> 00:31:22,320 Speaker 1: At Johnson a sixty eight year old who teaches Apachy 539 00:31:22,440 --> 00:31:23,960 Speaker 1: vocabulary and grammar. 540 00:31:24,600 --> 00:31:30,640 Speaker 2: So this type of technology could be revolutionary, but of course, 541 00:31:30,800 --> 00:31:33,840 Speaker 2: as we've talked about many times, when it comes to tech, 542 00:31:34,400 --> 00:31:37,720 Speaker 2: we have to proceed with caution. The software they mentioned 543 00:31:37,720 --> 00:31:41,200 Speaker 2: in the article is the Rapid Word Collection or the RWC, 544 00:31:41,680 --> 00:31:45,360 Speaker 2: which uses an algorithm to quote search Apache text and 545 00:31:45,480 --> 00:31:49,360 Speaker 2: audio databases for so called forgotten words. The words are 546 00:31:49,360 --> 00:31:53,200 Speaker 2: then defined, translated into English, and their pronunciations recorded so 547 00:31:53,240 --> 00:31:56,280 Speaker 2: the dictionaries users will know how to say them properly. 548 00:31:56,600 --> 00:31:58,000 Speaker 3: It's all great ideas. 549 00:31:58,440 --> 00:32:01,520 Speaker 2: The program was developed by an Inji called TLC or 550 00:32:01,560 --> 00:32:05,920 Speaker 2: The Language Conservancy, to protect indigenous languages and created to 551 00:32:05,960 --> 00:32:09,320 Speaker 2: help make dictionaries at a rapid speed, so being able 552 00:32:09,360 --> 00:32:11,719 Speaker 2: to do it quickly where they don't have to do individually. 553 00:32:11,760 --> 00:32:17,080 Speaker 2: Do this, however, again we say you have to be cautious. 554 00:32:17,440 --> 00:32:20,440 Speaker 2: One Native language specialist state that they were concerned that 555 00:32:20,520 --> 00:32:24,320 Speaker 2: quotes such projects impose a Western way of writing onto 556 00:32:24,360 --> 00:32:25,640 Speaker 2: an Indigenous. 557 00:32:25,120 --> 00:32:27,960 Speaker 3: Way of speaking. I guess that's what we're doing. 558 00:32:28,760 --> 00:32:32,080 Speaker 2: The vast majority of human languages are solely oral with 559 00:32:32,240 --> 00:32:35,640 Speaker 2: no writing systems. And then there's a Lakota indigenous leader 560 00:32:35,640 --> 00:32:38,880 Speaker 2: who even denounced the organization, saying that you were trying 561 00:32:38,880 --> 00:32:42,600 Speaker 2: to copyright the teaching materials and using the elder's work. 562 00:32:43,120 --> 00:32:46,320 Speaker 2: So definitely something to pay attention to. Again, the NGO 563 00:32:46,520 --> 00:32:47,680 Speaker 2: was like, hey, no, we're not doing that. 564 00:32:47,720 --> 00:32:51,640 Speaker 3: We're just trying to help preserve a language. But as 565 00:32:51,680 --> 00:32:53,040 Speaker 3: we know, when it comes to. 566 00:32:55,240 --> 00:33:01,920 Speaker 2: Good concepts or good intentions, capitalism does its own thing 567 00:33:02,240 --> 00:33:08,360 Speaker 2: and ruins a lot of stuff and loves to steal things. Yeah, anyway, 568 00:33:08,480 --> 00:33:12,760 Speaker 2: especially from indigenous cultures. So as much as we want 569 00:33:12,800 --> 00:33:16,400 Speaker 2: to celebrate things like this, let's just like being hopeful 570 00:33:16,520 --> 00:33:19,120 Speaker 2: that yes, it does help preserve and that's the end 571 00:33:19,160 --> 00:33:21,480 Speaker 2: of it. But we have to make sure that we 572 00:33:21,520 --> 00:33:35,320 Speaker 2: are holding NGOs and tech groups accountable. Moving on, it's 573 00:33:35,320 --> 00:33:39,040 Speaker 2: not just tech that's advancing the preservation of languages, but 574 00:33:39,160 --> 00:33:43,520 Speaker 2: also things like songs and books, movies and social media. Fox, 575 00:33:43,600 --> 00:33:49,000 Speaker 2: who we mentioned earlier and interviewed previously, has made sure 576 00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:51,600 Speaker 2: to use her skill as a filmmaker and director to 577 00:33:51,640 --> 00:33:54,840 Speaker 2: preserve her native community in sacred traditions. As in fact, 578 00:33:54,880 --> 00:33:58,440 Speaker 2: they kind of locked down one tradition I remember her 579 00:33:58,480 --> 00:34:00,920 Speaker 2: talking about it that they had used in a long time. 580 00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:03,120 Speaker 2: They were able to record it and go through with 581 00:34:03,200 --> 00:34:06,880 Speaker 2: her daughter and have this like magical moment and something 582 00:34:06,880 --> 00:34:11,360 Speaker 2: that they forgot about essentially, and they're like bringing back 583 00:34:11,440 --> 00:34:14,239 Speaker 2: and we love that conversation. Same thing we talked about 584 00:34:14,320 --> 00:34:17,040 Speaker 2: her newer project, which we haven't caught up with our sons, 585 00:34:17,040 --> 00:34:19,160 Speaker 2: and we need to. I think we need to follow 586 00:34:19,239 --> 00:34:23,839 Speaker 2: up talking about foods and specific types of foods and 587 00:34:23,880 --> 00:34:26,160 Speaker 2: things that are no longer grown and how they're trying 588 00:34:26,200 --> 00:34:30,600 Speaker 2: to bring them back, which is really really important, right 589 00:34:30,680 --> 00:34:31,400 Speaker 2: Annie a savor. 590 00:34:32,440 --> 00:34:34,960 Speaker 1: Yes, I was excited about that when she mentioned it 591 00:34:35,000 --> 00:34:36,680 Speaker 1: in an interview and I'm still than. 592 00:34:37,600 --> 00:34:38,560 Speaker 3: So we need to go back to that. 593 00:34:39,480 --> 00:34:42,000 Speaker 2: And then there's films like Long Line of Ladies, which 594 00:34:42,040 --> 00:34:44,359 Speaker 2: tells the coming of age story of one young woman 595 00:34:44,400 --> 00:34:47,640 Speaker 2: who takes part in a ceremony which was once not 596 00:34:47,800 --> 00:34:52,200 Speaker 2: outlawed necessarily but very looked down on. Like literally violence 597 00:34:52,560 --> 00:34:56,120 Speaker 2: was used against those who would try to do these ceremonies. 598 00:34:56,320 --> 00:34:57,920 Speaker 3: And they bring. 599 00:34:57,800 --> 00:35:00,960 Speaker 2: This back and in this movie they help preserve and 600 00:35:01,040 --> 00:35:04,520 Speaker 2: show a cultural tradition that could have been prominently lost. 601 00:35:04,560 --> 00:35:06,800 Speaker 2: So we need to add this movie to our list. 602 00:35:07,239 --> 00:35:09,080 Speaker 2: But yeah, films like that, and there's so many others 603 00:35:09,080 --> 00:35:11,880 Speaker 2: that I'm not mentioning that really help preserve the language 604 00:35:11,920 --> 00:35:14,600 Speaker 2: because they do actually speak the language. There was one 605 00:35:14,640 --> 00:35:18,360 Speaker 2: that actually retold Thanksgiving from more of a native perspective 606 00:35:18,400 --> 00:35:22,760 Speaker 2: with actual native language spoken during that time, so beautifully done. 607 00:35:22,960 --> 00:35:25,399 Speaker 2: Then we have songs that have been handed over and 608 00:35:25,440 --> 00:35:28,560 Speaker 2: sung over the years to preserve legends and tales of 609 00:35:28,600 --> 00:35:33,960 Speaker 2: cultural significances. But also recently, the younger generations have come 610 00:35:33,960 --> 00:35:36,640 Speaker 2: out boldly using their native languages as part of their 611 00:35:36,719 --> 00:35:41,200 Speaker 2: music and sound like a Mayan musician Sarah Caruci, and 612 00:35:41,239 --> 00:35:45,080 Speaker 2: here's a quote from Smithsonian's Folk Life Festival blog where 613 00:35:45,080 --> 00:35:51,120 Speaker 2: they celebrated this. In her music Kacchika, Maya musician Sarah 614 00:35:51,239 --> 00:35:55,080 Speaker 2: Carucci revises these statements. She makes it clear that the 615 00:35:55,120 --> 00:35:59,400 Speaker 2: Maya are not were a strong and resilient people. As 616 00:35:59,440 --> 00:36:02,719 Speaker 2: one of the first singers to expose international audiences to 617 00:36:02,840 --> 00:36:07,800 Speaker 2: her native language of Kechikel, Kruch is a strong cultural 618 00:36:07,840 --> 00:36:11,479 Speaker 2: ambassador for her heritage. She composes a song in both 619 00:36:11,560 --> 00:36:15,600 Speaker 2: Cochkil and Spanish, putting these languages to mixes of folk 620 00:36:15,800 --> 00:36:19,920 Speaker 2: rock and traditional Maya tunes. These sounds combined with the 621 00:36:19,920 --> 00:36:22,920 Speaker 2: topics that are at the same time personal and universal 622 00:36:23,080 --> 00:36:27,200 Speaker 2: for music that highlights the complexity of the modern indigenous identity, 623 00:36:27,480 --> 00:36:30,000 Speaker 2: which is beautiful, which I hope we get to see 624 00:36:30,000 --> 00:36:33,879 Speaker 2: more of this. I've actually had a several indigenous rock 625 00:36:34,200 --> 00:36:37,359 Speaker 2: musicians and soft rock and folk musicians pop up on 626 00:36:37,360 --> 00:36:41,759 Speaker 2: my TikTok, which I love. I think that's one of 627 00:36:41,800 --> 00:36:45,359 Speaker 2: my favorite parts. When you hear international music, something that's 628 00:36:45,400 --> 00:36:48,320 Speaker 2: different from your norm and they actually bring in traditional 629 00:36:48,800 --> 00:36:52,720 Speaker 2: sounds and languages, it's gorgeous. And I will say for myself, 630 00:36:52,760 --> 00:36:57,160 Speaker 2: who's again trying to learn Korean, using k pop, using 631 00:36:57,280 --> 00:37:01,040 Speaker 2: k jramas really do help in understanding what is being 632 00:37:01,080 --> 00:37:06,000 Speaker 2: said and preserving and revitalizing for me, like personally a 633 00:37:06,120 --> 00:37:09,120 Speaker 2: language that I haven't spoken in over thirty five years, 634 00:37:10,040 --> 00:37:12,920 Speaker 2: So so many things to this level, and it's gorgeous 635 00:37:12,960 --> 00:37:16,840 Speaker 2: to see. And again it's being led by mainly women, 636 00:37:16,960 --> 00:37:19,719 Speaker 2: Like you see so many women being at the forefront 637 00:37:20,239 --> 00:37:24,279 Speaker 2: in this type of preservation, in this type of cultural awareness. 638 00:37:24,400 --> 00:37:27,399 Speaker 2: Like it's a beautiful thing, but also very tiresome, I'm 639 00:37:27,440 --> 00:37:31,920 Speaker 2: sure for them. And obviously there's so much more to 640 00:37:32,440 --> 00:37:35,120 Speaker 2: this conversation, so many people we need to talk about. 641 00:37:35,160 --> 00:37:38,200 Speaker 2: I'm sure we'll be bringing some more out the part 642 00:37:38,280 --> 00:37:42,120 Speaker 2: we play in helping to preserve the indigenous cultures and 643 00:37:42,160 --> 00:37:45,080 Speaker 2: how not to be in the way or be oppressive. 644 00:37:45,280 --> 00:37:48,480 Speaker 2: You know, that's a really big part of the conversation. Again, 645 00:37:48,600 --> 00:37:50,440 Speaker 2: like I said, I feel like this could be a 646 00:37:50,480 --> 00:37:53,120 Speaker 2: series of different things, and we want to bring more 647 00:37:53,160 --> 00:37:57,439 Speaker 2: indigenous creators to the forefront in this conversation as well. 648 00:37:57,520 --> 00:38:00,160 Speaker 3: So, oh there's a lot. 649 00:38:00,080 --> 00:38:04,520 Speaker 1: Annie, Yeah, yeah, there is, And it's such important work 650 00:38:05,000 --> 00:38:07,279 Speaker 1: and I'm glad it's being done. I'm sad that it 651 00:38:07,320 --> 00:38:09,320 Speaker 1: has to be done like this, but i am glad 652 00:38:09,320 --> 00:38:13,319 Speaker 1: that it is being done. But if there's anybody you 653 00:38:13,400 --> 00:38:17,680 Speaker 1: want us to shout out or any resources you have, listeners, 654 00:38:17,719 --> 00:38:20,440 Speaker 1: please let us know. You can email us at Stepania 655 00:38:20,480 --> 00:38:22,640 Speaker 1: mom stuff atiheartmedia dot com. You can find us on 656 00:38:22,680 --> 00:38:25,680 Speaker 1: Twitter at moms a Podcast, or on TikTok and Instagram 657 00:38:25,680 --> 00:38:28,080 Speaker 1: at stuff Whene Ever Told You? For us on YouTube, 658 00:38:28,120 --> 00:38:29,880 Speaker 1: we have a tea public store, and we have a 659 00:38:29,880 --> 00:38:32,279 Speaker 1: book you can get wherever you get your books. Thanks 660 00:38:32,320 --> 00:38:36,000 Speaker 1: as always too, our super producer Christina, our executive producer Maya, 661 00:38:36,040 --> 00:38:38,560 Speaker 1: and our contributor Joey. Thank you and thanks to you 662 00:38:38,600 --> 00:38:40,600 Speaker 1: for listening. Stuff I Ever Told You is production by 663 00:38:40,600 --> 00:38:42,279 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. For more podcasts from my heart Radio, you 664 00:38:42,280 --> 00:38:44,160 Speaker 1: can check out the heart Radio app, Apple podcast or 665 00:38:44,160 --> 00:38:45,720 Speaker 1: every listen to favorite shows