What is Language Revitalization: A Lesson for MNW

What is Language Revitalization? Up until a couple weeks ago our team was unfamiliar with this subfield of linguistics which preserves and resuscitates Indigenous languages. Language is central to culture; the violent, forced assimilation of Indigenous people has led to the extinction of language and loss of cultural identity. The United States has a track record of erasing Indigenous culture and history through racist policies including boarding schools, relocation, dissolution, and the massacre of tribes.

In Oregon, these acts of erasure have reduced 100 languages to eight. In Western Oregon alone, there were four significant Language Families, each containing multiple dialects, spoken by the various tribes and bands: Athabasken (Athapasken) Salishan, Penutian, and Hokan. It was common to speak more than one dialect or language because of travel, trade, and marrying outside of the home village. However, by the early 1900s, most of the native languages were nearly extinct. Today, many Oregon tribes are actively working to revitalize their languages. The creation of the Northwest Indian Language Institute in 1987 and the Native American Languages Act in 1990 reflect positive systematic attempts to affirm and safeguard Indigenous identity, language, and culture.

As the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde puts it: “Preserving the original common language of our community is an important aspect of preserving our identity.”

After learning more about Language Revitalization, it is clear to us that the original title of our Regional Refresher Course, “Language Revitalized”, is evocative of Language Revitalization and does not accurately reflect the purpose of the course: to energize and inspire educators in the Language Area of the 3-6 Montessori classroom. The MNW Regional Refresher Course will explore the three sections of language, (spoken, written, and reading) examining key presentations, the role and necessary preparation of the guide, and the ways in which the language area offers opportunities to implement Anti-Bias education. The Refresher Course does not include Indigenous presenters or any aspect of Language Revitalization, so we have removed “Revitalized” from the title to ensure that we do not continue to harm Indigenous communities by appropriating this term. 

MNW apologizes for harm inflicted and for cultural appropriation. We hold ourselves accountable for this error and appreciate our community calling us in and creating an opportunity for us to learn about Language Revitalization. In the past two weeks, our team has internally shared resources defining Language Revitalization, personal accounts, and researched current Language Revitalization efforts in our region. 

Our effort to be an Anti-Bias Anti-Racist organization will be marked with mistakes and growth; as Montessorians, we continue to practice friendliness with error. We are grateful for our community’s feedback and participation in our continuous improvement. 

Here are some of the resources we used to start our critical interrogation, and would like to share with you: 

• Revitalizing Endangered Languages - Revitalization Models

• The Languages We Spoke

• Know the Laws, Regulations, Rules & Administration

• Native Language Revitalization: A Personal Journey Into Paiute Language and Culture

• Promoting the language gets trio noticed | The Eastern Door

• The Northwest Indian Language Institute Launches New Initiative, Celebrates 25 Years - EIN Presswire

• Native-Land.ca