(Corrected May 5, 7:00 AM)
I was just starting to write a post about yesterday's presentation on Gwich'in Caribou Terminology by Craig Mishler when I learned that the Yukon Flats School District plans to scale back Native language programs. Language teachers won't be offered certified teaching contracts, and the Language and Technology Institute started last year may not continue this year.
Why is it that just when you think things are going so well they seem to fall apart? At yesterday's presentation I sensed a real enthusiasm for the language. So many intricate connections between language, land, lifestyle, and language. Last summer the district hosted a week-long gathering to discuss language issues, resulting in a new resolve to support Gwich'in language teaching in the district. This was followed later by a language technology workshop in Fort Yukon, in which participants took the creation of new language tools into their own hands. No waiting for Rosetta Stone or some other outsider to do the work -- they just started doing it themselves!
And yet in spite of all this energy the district seems not to support Native language. I don't yet know the details. Don't know the reasons or the justifications. But it's nonetheless sad news. Stay tuned for more updates.
Meanwhile, look for a post about Mishler's talk soon.
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