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Show 6W The Salt Lake Trib'ic;, Sunday, November 11, 1973 age returns to the classroom The Ute Continued From Page W-- l when an Indian child is not at school. Mrs Dcn'er denies just working with Indians although thats her first love. She was Woman of the Year in the I'intah Basin for the Business Womens and Professional Club and shes a Federated Women's Club member She considers herself a worker in all areas I guess you might say I prefer and like to work with Indian people most. When I married, I remember friends being shocked that I was marrying someone from the 1 reservation. guess they be I'd living in a thought tepee in some remote place. We had five children. They are all proud of their mixed hlood and have found acceptance in both worlds." learned more of the ways of the Utes and to appreciate their culture from 15 years association with the tribe members as an educational and recreational director. Thats when she met Daisy and they began ther professional and personal asWhen I sociation. Title funds became government available, she and Daisy and Mrs, Lyman, with the help of Dr. Floyd A. O Neil, Western History Center, University of Utah, went to work. The educational philosophy toward the Indian has been to teach him to speak English so he can earn a good living in the white mans world. But in placing the emphasis on English, the Utes were convinced that speaking their own language was undesirable. There was the distinct danger that the language could be lost. And television is a deterrent to native language development. The children had to speak English at school and went home to be then bombarded with English on television. And nobody was to preserve the working language Travel and Tape I of Mrs Denvers Pip efforts involved raveling to different households and let ting elderly Utes tell stories or just talk into her tape recorder. Even before she understood much of the language, shed encourage Indian friends to tell of experiences and old stones from their childhood. Then Daisy could sit down and help translate and interpret what theyd said. The necessity was to reach some of the older Indians before they took what they knew to the grave She ' Gerald L. Mitchell, Todd principal, explained that the study of Ute Indian culture is a part of the Utah history unit for fourth graders. The language is taught to fourth, fifth and sixth grade Ute students. Indian students are segregated from white EAP-R- s PViOt Our Fx))!e Make Us Number One classmates only because the project is funded from Title IV money specified for Indian education. We send a slip home explaining the program to InMrs. Denver dian parents, said. It is neces-arfor parents to give written permission for a child to study the Ute language. We have never had a parent refuse. y Todds enrollment percent Indian. the 58 is I think this school is one of most fortunate in the Mrs. Denver said. students and teachers here are lucky to have two cultures from which to draw state, The "I dont feel any better or different from the Indians. I learn from them and they learn from me. My involvement has been mutually ad- illustration en'arged Diamond solitaires... a singular expression of love. vantageous. The women are seeing the fruits of their labor in the attitJdinal charges among children and parents. Parents report that their children are showing signs of being proud of their Indian herbage They even try their language skills on grandparents and older relatives. For a love that will l3st torever. want a ring to match . elegant'y simp'e, yet exquisitely styled. Come see our w.de selection of solitaires priced for your bjdget solitaire, 1 carat, 14 karat gold. $1,095. ,ou newly-acquire- d The children demand more and more each year from their language instructors Mrs. Jenks cant walk down the hall without having her way blocked by small brown bodies. The children like their special classes so well that its a challenge to get them back to their regular school work. Part of the fun is to hear Mrs. Denver struggle with Ute words and phrases. Ute is The a difficult language. women leach by writing the words just the way they sound. The h on the word for horse, ka vah, indicates a heavier, breathy sound. But the word for horses is ka vow and non ni pook is my horse The children tease Norma because her Ute doesnt sound like Daisys Parents Objected In the past, some parents objected to having their children learn the Ute language. Their philosophy was (hat the white man had taken everything el.se, but he wasnt going to get their language," Nonna said But then some of the younger parents began to wonder why Ute wasn't taught in the schools. They realized their children were not speaking the language and that it could be lost. Lori Ann Cuch, left, Mrs. Denver, Ossie Reyos put their heads together over copy of workbook ihat but not like. Ute. The teacher really would have had to worry if the child had called him a dog. In Ute, thats the worst insult you can as theyd Daisy was given by her parIndians six months after she was bom She was sent to government boarding school when she was 9. She did not speak one word of English It was hard, but I managed and survived. It makes me laugh now to think that I was a junior high dropout and now I'm a teacher ents to I to volunteered help Norma Her husband and 1 It were seems related strange that whea I was a child duldrvn were discouraged and even punished if they spoke their own language I know the young Indian children are gaining pride m their heritage from the language and history classes I want them to lie proud of w ho and what they are Daisys older children tell her they regret having lost their native language. They understand and speak a little, lf Layaway now for Christmas. portant has been the improved for the Ute children and parents. Even white students have requested the language class, but government funding specifications do not allow any but Indian students e Part of the language loss is due to intermarriage between Utes and other tribes and Utes and whites, Norma said. If there are two Indian languages in the home, English is universal and is easiest to communicate. If the marriage is to a white, then they will speak English. The lucky thing is that there are Indians who are too stubborn to give up their native tongue Some of their first students are in junior high now. And although they dont speak the language fluently, they tan understand it. But most im- - get" The language education has had some side effects. A junior high teacher complained to Daisy that an Indian student had called him a word she translated from Ute as an Old Pig What it was difficult to explain to the teacher was that that wasnt really so bad, Daisy said. There really arent many bad words in as much goes along with history text. Mrs. Denvers husband was one-haIndian. She was reared in Roosevelt. So the process three-generatio- and appreciate their language and culture. Maybe they gave it up too fast. Were slowing them down so theyll go back and pick up some of their old ways. Seven convenient ways to buy: BrmkAmericorrf Zalec Cuctem Charge Zalot Revolving Charge American Expreet Walker Bonkord Matter Charge layaway . . . Student Accounts Welcome ZALES r Mall Valley for toft IbuntA 4, Sfown pmuM has been a n Nonna said. ing Ute. But now they know Three thing," genera- tions ago, only Ute was spoken. In the second generation, both were used. The third generation spoke only English. We're try ing to revert back to the second generation idea (3(3000 ?DQQ (foaffS W e know students probably wont make their living speak Career plans PA. BETHLEHEM, (UP) The great changes m American society in the had little influence on college seniors' choice of careers, the Placement Council, College Inc., reported. In a study covering the years 1935 through 1970, the council found seniors bad pretty much the same career plans in 1970 as five l0s years earlier. Ajfc'i. w-- - .."y tu J. ; .. v rti Act'5 4 SffitkEcjq v ydiuu liliittiiu - I, F;v $ v-vr- sS SY' fUa... 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