Wellpinit, WA, Spokane Reservation
Language lost.
Throughout this trip, we have heard from a lot of tribal
members about how they have lost parts of their language. This is more than
just having words come in and out of use, slang that was used fifty years ago
but not anymore. When the language is oral, not written down, it is critical
that the language continues to be used and passed onto new generations.
So how do these tribes loose parts and pieces of their language?
They have lost their first foods. For each of their feast
foods, there is a celebration, songs, prayers, and language used. When the
Spokane tribe lost the salmon from their diet, due to salmon canneries and
government dams, they no longer spoke or sang or prayed any of the language
surrounding salmon. When a whole generation of tribal members don’t speak the
language, there is no one to teach it to the younger members.
Their language is lost, and even if the Spokane Tribal Hatchery
achieves the goal of bringing salmon back to these rivers, how will they
reclaim those important words?
As an English teacher, the loss of language is painful to
think about.
It is amazing to see what tribal members are doing to bring
back their foods to their lands. The Spokane tribe has a fish hatchery that is
working hard on bringing back not only salmon, but trout and steelhead as well.
They have a wildlife program that is focused on maintaining a deer and elk
heard, which they introduced as an alternative protein source decades ago.
They are working hard to hold onto what they have after so
much has been taken, and I have so much respect for that good work.
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