Archival Institute for Indigenous Languages

Miami University, Oxford OH

Investigators

Abstract

Fewer than 200 indigenous languages are still spoken today in the United States; 80% are not expected to survive through the 21st century. This extensive loss will have an impact not only on the indigenous American societies in which these languages were once predominant, but also on the scientific study of North American languages and the evidence they provide regarding linguistic variation and linguistic universals. Although current research is incomplete, evidence suggests a possible positive link between language and cultural revitalization and community health and social improvement. In addition to these benefits, efforts to document threatened indigenous languages and cultures play an important role in developing a deeper understanding of human cultural diversity and human language. To advance these goals, the Myaamia Center at Miami University and the Smithsonian Institution's Recovering Voices Program have partnered to organize and run the Breath of Life Archival Institute to be held at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., during the summer of 2015. The Breath of Life Archival Institute supported by this award is a two-week workshop designed to bring together native language educators and learners from communities across the United States to provide workshop participants, with the help of linguistic mentors, direct access to archival documents of their native languages. In most cases, the communities represented by these participants have lost all or nearly all of their native speakers and must rely on documentation to regenerate the knowledge of their languages. Through a series of instructional presentations, participants will be trained on a variety of topics including basic linguistics, how to read phonetic symbols, and how to work with archival materials. With this preparation, participants will visit the archives at the National Anthropological Archives and the Library of Congress to locate important linguistic materials on their respective languages. At the end of the workshop, participants will share projects they have created during the course of the institute.