Show University of Utah Works to Revitalize Lost Languages Brenda Lewis Community The death of a language can be the death of a culture The University of Utah's Center for American Indian Languages hopes to revitalize those languages in the Americas that may soon be lost Lots and lots of people work on endangered languages languages languages lan lan- but there is no infrastructure infrastructure infrastructure infra infra- structure Dr Lyle Campbell Director of CAIL CAlL said CAIL CAlL wants to change that by opening its doors to visiting visiting visiting visit visit- ing scholars postdoctoral fellows fellows fellows fel fel- fel- fel lows and students Located at Fort Douglas University of Utah Campus at Street the Center has a reference library containing books and materials on language endangerment endangerment endangerment germent language revitalization tion and Native American languages CAIL's CAlLs Opening Celebration on April 7 featured featured featured fea fea- traditional Native American songs dances stories stories stories sto sto- ries music and food A Ayoung Ayoung Ayoung young Shoshoni man sang the song that an elderly woman taught him Another Native American played traditional songs on a wooden flute A troupe of four men performed performed performed per per- formed the Grass Dance followed by a pair of them doing The Eagle Dance One young man appeared solo doing The Hoop Dance On their CAIL CAlL states The Americas are home to more than language language language lan lan- guage families half of those recognized in the world Several whole language families families families fam fam- have become extinct as all their member languages have disappeared others will soon follow The site goes on to say that CAIL CAlL is dedicated to working with community members where languages and cultures are endangered towards linguistic linguistic linguistic lin lin- and cultural revitalization revitalization revitalization urgent and ambitious research on the endangered languages of Native America and training students t to address scholarly and practical cal needs involving these languages languages languages lan lan- and their communities ties of speakers According to Dr Campbell funding for study and research comes primarily from federal grants When the grants end after two or three years year's time the work ends Its a really important topic Campbell said He said that in the Americas there are only 20 of the languages here that are still active This is because children are learning them In California for example there were Native American languages on record at the turn of the last century Today there are only 50 and they are considered endangered because no one under the age of 50 speaks them The goal of CAIL CAlL is to halt this trend and help preserve the languages and the cultures cultures cultures cul cul- cul- cul tures that use them In collaboration collaboration collaboration col col- col- col with the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History CAIL CAlL is developing a publication publication publication cation series and holding an annual conference dedicated to endangered American Indian languages The current projects that See Language continue continued on page 8 Language continued from page 3 CAlL CAIL is working on are Preserving and Enhancing Accessibility of Shoshoni Materials and Description of and Three of the Least Known and Most Endangered Languages of the he Chaco Under the direction of Dr Campbell who speaks Mayan Uto-Aztecan Uto and CAIL's CAlLs staff includes Dr Mauricio Mixco Yuman Siouan and Shoshoni Dr David Iannucci and Dr Marianna DiPaolo Shoshoni Dr DiPaolo is also Chair of Linguistics at atthe atthe th the U who at the opening of the Center thanked Campbell Campb ll for his vision and fJ Vy v iRI m J the Cent Center r Ul IJ t |