.
The Wintu
Language Project ©
(WLP)
Beedi Yalumina (‘don’t
give up’)
Wintu is a highly
endangered indigenous language of
When we began this
project, only two fluent speakers of the language remained, Florence Jones then
age 85-years-old .
We are now left with only a few of us fluent enough to speak to the sacred places and carry on rudimentary conversations when we want to keep them private. We have, however, continued to teach the people of the Village of Kerekmet the language and pray that we will be
successful in keeping our language alive.
It is clear that this
language is a very important, if not vital factor in the Wintu’s efforts of
cultural preservation. We must act
now to save the Wintu language from extinction.
The Wintu
Language Project (WLP)
The WLP is the work of three researchers, Caleen Sisk-Franco, and Mark Franco,leaders of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, and German linguist, Stefan Liedtke.
The WLP includes:
1.
continuing
and completing the documentary work with the last speaker
2.
processing
of the materials already available (Two Wintu-to-English dictionaries, one
grammar, a collection of texts, many tape recordings (1979 to present) with
Emerson Miles, Florence Jones, and Margie Charles, Florence's 78 year-old
daughter who remembers a few words, etc.). The
processing of the materials includes the elimination of errors, filling gaps and
developing a practical spelling system that the
3.
analyzing
all available materials, making them accessible and understandable by converting
them into user-friendly, multi-media learning and teaching materials
(audiocassette tapes, a phrase book, a beginner’s guide and visual aids for
adults and children).
4.
compiling
the first practical English-to-Wintu dictionary (containing many new words
previously unrecorded). This dictionary is not to be reproduced by others
without permission of the Winnemem.
5.
workshops
with the goal of producing new speakers, especially, training parents to become
teachers for their children. All
available methods will be used (e.g., total physical response, etc.).
When completed we
believe that the Beedi Yalumina project will be a major step
forward in preserving, learning and teaching the native languages of California
and elsewhere. Tying in material collected by earlier researchers (especially
Alice Schlichter/Shepherd and Harvey Pitkin) as well as tapping in to the
increasing interest on the part of the Wintu community to learn the language
again, we are sure that this most endangered of endangered languages can be
saved!
Call for help
We need help! The WLP
is self-financed and although we have applied for endangered language grant
funding, we received no funding because we are considered “too endangered”.
Although the potential
exists to preserve and learn the language, time is running out. Because
everything has to be done at the same time by just a few people, and working
conditions are tough, it still takes too long to make a real breakthrough. We
welcome any kind of useful suggestions and support.
Contact:
Indian
Cultural Organization
The
Wintu Language Project
Telephone
e-mail
winnemem@msn.com
Tax-deductible
contributions may be sent to:
The Indian
Cultural Organization (ICO)
Attention
"WLP”
With deepest regards
and prayers for our elders:
Thank you for your time
and I hope you can help us,
Under One Sky,
Indian Cultural Organization