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PRESS RELEASE
(NEW MEXICO) -- The Indigenous Language
Institute (ILI) continues to build upon its reputation as the country’s
premier nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving, protecting and
perpetuating endangered Native American Languages.
“2001 was a banner year for ILI in many important
ways,” said ILI President Gerald L. Hill, Oneida. “Grassroots
collaborations in Native communities, a variety of language programs, and
ongoing activities related to our international clearinghouse of language
information continue to further ILI’s goals.”
Ongoing program collaborations include Regional
Training Workshops with the Oklahoma Native Language Association (ONLA),
to provide practical, hands-on training in Oklahoma and Florida.
“We continue to see an increase in the number of
community-based language programs, as well as strengthening of our
existing ones,” said Hill. “We are happy to note that the decline of
endangered languages was arrested in 2001 – that is, we have not
‘lost’ any more of them.”
ILI 2001 Accomplishments
February: ILI and the National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) co-hosted
a Native language symposium in Washington, D.C., on Capitol Hill.
April: ILI participated at a NIGA-sponsored workshop on language
revitalization, held in Albuquerque, N.M.
April: President Hill was a panelist at the National Council on Less
Commonly Taught Languages Conference, held in Washington, D.C.
April: ILI held its Third Annual Language Fair in Santa Fe. Over the
years, this event has grown in popularity, with 2001’s participation at
165 young people from around the country – an increase of 27 percent
over 2000.
April: ILI’s Field Survey Project completed its field visits. The data
that has now been collected from a total of 34 Native language programs
nationwide is in the process of being analyzed and compiled into “How-To
Handbooks” for starting and sustaining effective language programs.
(Publication date is slated for Spring 2003.)
May: ILI’s Field Survey Language Team presented a workshop at the Eighth
Annual Stabilizing Indigenous Languages Conference, held in Flagstaff,
Ariz.
May-June: Santa Fe’s Institute of American Indian Arts Museum
co-sponsored a two-week exhibition of ILI’s 2002 Youth Language Fair
Poster Contest winners and honorary mentions.
July: Publication of “The ILI Youth Language Fair and Poster Contest: An
Anthology of Participants 2000.”
July: Publication of “The Native American Youth Language Fair and Poster
Contest Manual.” The publication is intended to provide communities with
the information needed to organize their own youth events.
October: Announcement of a three-year, $5 million national endowment
campaign. Native American actor Wes Studi, who is a lifelong speaker of
his own Cherokee language, is serving as Honorary Endowment Chairman.
October: ILI hosted its Fourth Annual Honors Event, “Those Who Make a
Difference,” in Santa Fe. ILI paid tribute to Patricia Locke, Lakota
(who died one week following the event); Kevin Locke, Lakota; and Lloyd
Kiva New (Cherokee) for their important work in saving Native languages.
October: A benefit concert for ILI featuring Kevin Locke, Lakota; Drew
LaCapa, Apache, Hopi, Tewa; Firecat of Discord; Ralph Zotigh, Kiowa; and
Conroy Chino, Acoma Pueblo; was held at Santa Fe’s Lensic Performing
Arts Center. The event was sponsored by the Lensic Sponsorship Program.
# # # #
According to 1993 statistics, of the 300-plus
original languages in North
America, only 175 exist today. Of those, 155 languages, or 89 percent, are
endangered. If nothing is done to reverse this trend by 2060, only 20
indigenous languages will remain.
The Indigenous Language Institute is located at 560 Montezuma Avenue,
Suite 201-A, Santa Fe, N.M., 87501. Telephone: (505) 820-0311; Fax: (505)
820-0316. E-mail: ili@indigenous-language.org;
Web site: http://www.indigenous-language.org.
Media Contact: Liz Hill (202) 483-3609 |
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