Osiyo:
At this time of holidays and the New Year we here at Talking-Feather wanted  to send a special message to you. The following prayer is from the Navajo, and can be found in many places, one of which is the Museum at Chaco Canyon in New Mexico, for the Anasazi.  Some say that reading the words bring  peace and calm. We find this to be true.
May your holidays be Happy and your New Year Prosperous!   
The Staff of Talking-Feather

Chaco Canyon, NM-photo: Philip Greenspan

Walking in Beauty:  Closing Prayer from the Navajo Way Blessing Ceremony

In beauty I walk

With beauty before me I walk

With beauty behind me I walk

With beauty above me I walk

With beauty around me I walk

It has become beauty again

Hózhóogo naasháa doo
Shitsijí’ hózhóogo naasháa doo
Shikéédéé hózhóogo naasháa doo
Shideigi hózhóogo naasháa doo
T’áá altso shinaagóó hózhóogo naasháa doo
Hózhó náhásdlíí’
Hózhó náhásdlíí’
Hózhó náhásdlíí’
Hózhó náhásdlíí’

Today I will walk out, today everything negative will leave me

I will be as I was before, I will have a cool breeze over my body.

I will have a light body, I will be happy forever, nothing will hinder me.

I walk with beauty before me. I walk with beauty behind me.

I walk with beauty below me. I walk with beauty above me.

I walk with beauty around me. My words will be beautiful.

In beauty all day long may I walk.

Through the returning seasons, may I walk.

On the trail marked with pollen may I walk.

With dew about my feet, may I walk.

With beauty before me may I walk.

With beauty behind me may I walk.

With beauty below me may I walk.

With beauty above me may I walk.

With beauty all around me may I walk.

In old age wandering on a trail of beauty, lively, may I walk.

In old age wandering on a trail of beauty, living again, may I walk.

My words will be beautiful…

Tags: Anasazi, calm, Chaco Canyon, museum, New Mexico, peace, Walk in Beauty

Schott’s Vocab, New York Times

Today’s post has to do with the preservation of languages. This was a forum that involved questions concerning the preventive measures we might take to save languages from extinction. The answers were supplied by French linguist Professor Claude Hagege, author of the book On the Death and Life of Languages (An Odile Jacob Book).
There were many questions about different languages, and professor Hagege’s responses were both interesting and informative. Several of the questions concerned American Indian languages, which I found interesting and decided to post an excerpt of one of the questions from the article.

“What role do language immersion schools play in arresting the extinction of a culture or language? Do these help to maintain the cultural identity of a marginalized group? Also, what benefits does immersion show over book learning coupled with language coursework? Specifically, I’m curious about Native American language immersion schools. It’s a fascinating topic, thank you.” – Jared

” Immersion schools have the power of arresting the extinction of a culture or language and maintaining the cultural identity of a marginalized group. An example which I mention in my book “On the Death and Life of Languages,” Yale University Press, 2009, is that of the Peach Springs experiment in Arizona (p. 227). Beginning in 1975, the immersion schools program succeeded in curbing the erosion of Hualapai, an Indian language formerly spoken there on a wide basis. Immersion of course does not rule out book learning and language coursework. They are all combined to strengthen the effort to protect endangered languages.

However, there is a problem with these immersion schools. When children finish their courses in these schools, they resume their relationships with a society in which English is dominant. The only way to maintain the knowledge and practice acquired in immersion schools would be to give the threatened Indian language, within the tribe or community which has decided to promote it through these schools, an official status on the same level as English. Such an extension of the results obtained by immersion schools is not impossible, despite obvious practical difficulties in everyday life contexts, which put the Indian language in permanent contact with English. This extension requires an important financial support. This support itself implies a strong identity feeling, as is often found among Indian communities whose languages are endangered.”

The questions and the answers from this language forum are thought provoking. I recommend everyone interested in languages and especially the preservation of  languages to read the entire article.

Questions for Comprehension and Discussion

Review any new vocabulary words with students. Place them in groups and have them answer the following questions.

1. What is a “marginalized” group?
2. According to professor Hagege, are American Indian language immersion schools helpful in saving a language from extinction?
3. What other elements does he mention as also being necessary to protect endangered languages?
4. What example does he give to prove his point?
5. Describe the problem of immersion schools. Provide an example of how this problem occurs.  What solution does professor Hagege propose for this problem?
6. In another question, (see entire article) the person saw the following statement in Vancouver, “Language is the glue. Without it, culture falls apart.” What does this mean?  Provide an example.
7. In your country, are there languages that are in danger of becoming extinct? What are they? If so, what measures are being taken to save them?
8. The  article mentions many other languages, such as Spanish, French, German, and Chinese. Do you think that your first language may be in danger of becoming extinct?
9. English is considered by many to be the “lingua franca” of the world. Explain why people would think this is true.  Do you think this is true? Explain why or why not.

Tags: Arizona, Claude Hagege, endangered languages, Immersion schools, Languages, Linguistics

Hi All,

Many American Indians believed in The Great Spirit and fashioned their lives according to the teachings of this deity. They had sayings which reflected their thoughts about The Great Spirit.

Today, although we may refer to “The Great Spirit” by various names, we still believe. Taking a look back, I think that we can all learn from these words of wisdom…and humor.

Here’s are a several of my favorites:

“When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light, for your life and strength. Give thanks for your food, and the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies with yourself…”
Tecumseh – Shawnee

“The Great Spirit is in all things, he is in the air we breathe. The Great Spirit is our Father, but the Earth is our Mother. She nourishes us, that which we put into the ground she returns to us….”
Big Thunder (Bedagi) – Wabanaki Alonquin

“The Great Spirit raised both the white man and the Indian. I think he raised the Indian first. He raised me in this land, it belongs to me. The white man was raised over the great waters, and his land is over there. Since they crossed the sea, I have given them room. There are now white people all about me. I have but a small spot of land left. The Great Spirit told me to keep it.”
Chief Red Cloud – Sioux

“Some of our chiefs make the claim that the land belongs to us. It is not what the Great Spirit told me. He told me that the lands belong to Him, that no people owns the land; that I was not to forget to tell this to the white people when I met them in council.”
Kanekuk – Kickapoo prophet

FIRST PEOPLE: NATIVE AMERICAN WISDOM

Suggestions for Discussion

Place students in groups, and have them choose two of the sayings.

Have the group get the meanings for any new vocabulary words.

They are to interpret the meanings of both sayings, then compare the two.

Tags: Bedagi, Big Thunder, Chief Red Cloud, Great spirit, Kanekuk, Kickapoo prophet, religion, Shawnee, Sioux, Tecumseh, Wabanaki Alonquin

By Paul Courson, CNN US NEWS

This article discusses how some people are trying to correct past mistakes, as far as the  American Indian people are concerned.

The story  involves a lawsuit  that was filed in 1996, against the United States government  for the mismanagement of funds from tribal lands. The article states that the settlement would give American Indians as much as $1,000 each.

However, there has been criticism of this new proposal from several of the tribes.

One woman, Elouise Cobell, a member of the  Blackfeet Indian tribe located in Montana, has said that  “…many of those represented in the class-action suit subsist in the direst poverty,” [and that the settlement is] “significantly less than the  full amount to which the Indians are owed.”

This deal is far from perfect,  and to get everything right will require time. What needs to be considered is the fact that President Obama and his administration are definitely moving  to take steps towards making amends to American Indian people.

Questions for Comprehension and  Discussion

Review any new vocabulary with students, place them in small groups or as a class, answer the following questions after reading the complete article.

1. Who filed the lawsuit?   Explain why.

2. In addition to the $1.000 payment, what else would the government agree to do?

3. Who is Eric Holder?

4. Who is Elouise Cobell?

5. Discuss  Ms. Cobell ‘s concerns (see paragraphs 10-13) .

6. How are the original people in your country treated by the government?

Tags: amends, Blackfeet Tribe, Elouise Cobell, President Obama, settlement, United States government

A new essay entitled Let’s Get Together and Do It Right by Ruth Elgin has been added to the Essays section under Essays & Art.

Indian Country Today -Staff reports

Story Published: Dec 4, 2009

Story Updated: Dec 1, 2009

American Indian culture is seeped in traditions stemming from long ago, including the myths. While some stories were created for pure entertainment, many were based on truth, and were used to explain some aspect of life, or to instill a moral.

Today, people have created a way to mix the humor of a mythical character with serious life-saving information.

An animated series entitled “Iktomi”, who according to Indian myth was a trickster always doing naughty things to others, discovers that he now has diabetes, and struggles with the notion that in order to get better, he must “behave” himself and take better care of his health.

The great news is that many American Indians, and hopefully other people, watching the series learn valuable information about caring for their physical, mental and emotional health.

The groups taking part in producing the series and in educating people are KAT Communications together with Standing Rock Diabetes, and  The Aberdeen Area Indian Health Service.

GoodHealth TV is a network that features health education issues, and resources that help people with maintaining overall good health in many areas. The article provides information on where to go to learn more about the program and to enjoy Iktomi, and his antics.

This is an ingenious way of reaching people who need what may well be life-saving information.

Tags: animated, health issues, Iktomi, Standing Rock Diabetes, The Aberdeen Area Indian Health Service, traditions, trickster

“Bias and prejudice are attitudes to be kept in hand, not attitudes to be avoided. “

The above statement was spoken by Charles Curtis, the 31st Vice President of the United States of American Indian descent. Curtis held office from  1929 until 1933. His grandfather was Kaw Indian, and Curtis spent his childhood on the Kaw reservation. As a young man Curtis had a passion for politics, and after graduating high school he studied  law and was admitted to the Kansas bar in 1881. Curtis opened his own firm and practiced criminal law. In 1884, he won the election for Shawnee Kansas county attorney. Working his way up the political ladder, he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1907. Charles Curtis served as the Vice-president to Herbert Hoover.

William Allen White, the editor of the Emporia Gazette,  gives a description of  Mr. Curtis, based on an interview he had with him in 1891.

Read more…

Tags: Charles Curtis, Herbert Hoover, Shawnee Kansas, U. S. Senate, United States, Vice President, William Allen White