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lingthusiasm · 1 year

Audio

Lingthusiasm Episode 76: Where language names come from and why they change

Language names come from many sources. Sometimes they’re related to a geographical feature or name of a group of people. Sometimes they’re related to the word for “talk” or “language” in the language itself; other times the name that outsiders call the language is completely different from the insider name. Sometimes they come from mistakes: a name that got mis-applied or even a pejorative description from a neighbouring group.

In this episode, your hosts Gretchen McCulloch and Lauren Gawne get enthusiastic about how languages are named! We talk about how naming a language makes it more legible to broader organizations like governments and academics, similar to how birth certificates and passports make humans legible to institutions. And like how individual people can change their names, sometimes groups of people decide to change the name that their language is known by, a process that in both cases can take a lot of paperwork.

Read the transcript here.

Announcements:

We’re doing another Lingthusiasm liveshow! February 18th (Canada) slash 19th (Australia)! (What time is that for me?) We'll be returning to one of our fan-favourite topics and answering your questions about language and gender with returning special guest Dr. Kirby Conrod! (See Kirby’s previous interview with us about the grammar of singular they.)

This liveshow is for Lingthusiam patrons and will take place on the Lingthusiasm Discord server. Become a patron before the event to ask us questions in advance or live-react in the text chat. This episode will also be available as an edited-for-legibility recording in your usual Patreon live feed if you prefer to listen at a later date. In the meantime: tell us about your favourite examples of gender in various languages and we might include them in the show! In this month’s bonus episode we get enthusiastic about some of our favourite deleted bits from previous interviews that we didn't quite have space to share with you. Think of it as a special bonus edition DVD from the past two years of Lingthusiasm with director's commentary and deleted scenes from interviews with Kat Gupta, Lucy Maddox, and Randall Munroe. Join us on Patreon now to get access to this and 70+ other bonus episodes, as well as access to the Lingthusiasm Discord server where you can chat with other language nerds, and get access to our upcoming liveshow! Here are the links mentioned in the episode:

‘A grammatical overview of Yolmo (Tibeto-Burman)’ by Dr Lauren Gawne

‘Language naming in Indigenous Australia: a view from western Arnhem Land’ by Jill Vaughan, Ruth Singer, and Murray Garde

Wikipedia List of Creole Languages

Wikipedia entry for Métis/Michif

‘A note on the term “Bantu” as first used by W. H. I. Bleek’ by Raymond O. Silverstein

Lingthusiasm episode ‘How languages influence each other - Interview with Hannah Gibson on Swahili, Rangi, and Bantu languages’

Wikipedia entry for Endonym and Exonym

All Things Linguistic post on exonym naming practices in colonised North America

Tribal Nations Map of North America

Wikipedia entry for Maliseet

OED entry for ‘endoscope’

Wikipedia entry for Light Warlpiri

Language Hat entry for Light Warlpiri

Los Angeles Times article about the use of Diné instead of Navajo

OED entry for ‘slave’

Wikipedia entry for names of Germany

You can listen to this episode via Lingthusiasm.com, Soundcloud, RSS, Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also download an mp3 via the Soundcloud page for offline listening. To receive an email whenever a new episode drops, sign up for the Lingthusiasm mailing list.

You can help keep Lingthusiasm advertising-free by supporting our Patreon. Being a patron gives you access to bonus content, our Discord server, and other perks.

Lingthusiasm is on Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.

Email us at contact [at] lingthusiasm [dot] com

Gretchen is on Twitter as @GretchenAMcC and blogs at All Things Linguistic.

Lauren is on Twitter as @superlinguo and blogs at Superlinguo.

Lingthusiasm is created by Gretchen McCulloch and Lauren Gawne. Our senior producer is Claire Gawne, our production editor is Sarah Dopierala, and our production assistant is Martha Tsutsui Billins. Our music is ‘Ancient City’ by The Triangles.

This episode of Lingthusiasm is made available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike license (CC 4.0 BY-NC-SA).

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ravenmyecoaction · 3 years

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Métis Peoples & the Buffalo

For this post I will be discussing Métis people and the significance of the buffalo to us as a culture and as a Nation. I will first give a bit of background on who the Métis people are. Then, I will discuss why the buffalo were historically a central part of Métis culture, identity and way of life in the 1700s to 1800s. A part of this history is the incredible buffalo hunts that the Métis came together for, in a highly chaotic, yet organized fashion, for such freedom loving people, in order to sustain their families, as well as for trade and income. I will also touch on a darker part of history, where the magnificent buffalo herds of Turtle Island were almost driven to extinction in the late 1800s, of which the Métis may have played an unfortunate part in, along with other forces at play during that time. I will then discuss how the buffalo hunt, although a thing of the past, still has relevance to contemporary Métis people, particularly regarding our political tradition, and I will consider how Métis peoples historical relationship with buffalo has implications for the future of the Métis Nation, including Métis wellness and self-determination.

Who are the Métis?

The Métis people are descendants of plains First Nations women and European fur traders who had country marriages and began families (Kodiack, 2020b), in the 16 and 1700s (Métis Nation of Ontario, n.d.) Over several generations a distinct culture emerged from these unions, where the Métis have a unique culture, a distinct ancestral language, Michif, an extensive network of kin, and a shared history, political tradition and way of life (Gaudry, 2019). They had many lifestyles in the 17 & 1800s, including as hunters, trappers, gathers, traders, farmers, translators or clerks. Education opportunities varied, depending on peoples’ access to money and land. A shift from trading to a mixed lifestyle was more common as permanent Métis communities formed across Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta in the 1800s (Kodiak, 2020b). The Métis were known as entrepreneurs, ‘self-made” people, who were independent of clan or kinship obligations to European and First Nations groups. Some Michif traders did very well for themselves and were known as ‘Rich Men’. The Métis valued liberty, equality and democracy (Teillet, 2019). The Cree would call them Otipemisiwak (oh-ti-pi-miss-i-wak), which means the “people who own themselves” or “those who rule and command themselves” (Kodiak, 2020).

(Image: https://www.canadiangeographic.ca/article/toward-metis-homeland)

History of the Métis, Buffalo, and Buffalo Hunt

The buffalo is central to the formation of Métis culture and nationhood, where buffalo herds brought thousands of descendants of the First Nations women and European fur traders together in the 1700s & 1800s, to work towards a common goal, to hunt buffalo for food and the meat was also used as form of currency to be traded for other important things, including trade goods, other food, land and education. Métis buffalo hunters brought in a reliable, steady source of nutritious food, which was an important source of food security in the Red River, where crops often failed. They also made far more money than one could farming (Teillet, 2019).

Many Métis preferred the lifestyle of living “entirely by they chase,” with the wind in their face and with the constant change that following the herds across the plains for 100s of miles brought, rather than by the “monotonous toil of the settlers.” There were summer, fall and winter hunts. Whole families went along on these hunting expeditions, because everyone was needed, where the men were responsible for the hunt and the women played an important role in pemmican making, and later in the production of Buffalo robes (Teillet, 2019).

(Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A9tis_buffalo_hunt#/media/File:PaulKane-BuffaloHunt-ROM.jpg)

Here is a poem by Marilyn Dumont about how to make pemmican:

How to Make Pemmican

Kill one 1800lb. Buffalo

Gut it

Skin it

Butcher it

Slice the meat in long strips for drying

Construct drying tripods and racks for 1000lbs. Of wet meat

Dry it while staving of predators for days

Strip from drying racks and lay on tarps for pounding

Round 1000 lbs. of dry meat

Mix with several pounds of dried berries, picked previously

And rendered suet

Cut buffalo hides in quarters

Fill with hot dried meat, berry and suet mixture

Sew quarter-hide portions together with sinew

Bury in a cache for later mmmh.

(Dumont, 2015)

While the buffalo hunt had the very practical purpose of obtaining meat and trade supplies, it was also a time where the Métis were able to sing, laugh, dance, gossip, joke and fight. It was a pretty loud affair, not to mention over the shrieks made by their signature Red River carts (Teillet, 2019).

Cuthbert Grant, the Buffalo Hunt & its Significance for Future Métis Governance

After 1816, Cuthbert Grant brought together the Métis in a way where you could say that “the buffalo hunt began in earnest” and grew into the legendary Métis buffalo hunts. He was able to somewhat tame a freedom loving and wild group of people. He managed to create an environment where their freedom and pride was honoured, while they also learned to work together as a unit. Grant developed democratic rules of the hunt, and a chain of command, from the chief captain of the hunt to ten captains below, as well as to scouts and camp guards (Teillet, 2019). When over a 1000 people could be participating in a single hunt, it required rules to make it work, including things like no stealing, swearing or hunting on Sundays. Once these rules were well established among the Métis, it was possible to apply them to other important matters of survival. This is why this institutional structure of the hunt was an early form of Métis governance (Cram, 2020).

(Image: http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/grant_cuthbert_1854_8E.html)

Near Extinction of the Buffalo Herds of Turtle Island

The buffalo hunt as a way of life came to an end in the late 1800s, when the buffalo herd populations were nearly decimated. This near collapse of the population is said to be due to over harvesting, as well as the deliberate and successful attempt to starve Indigenous peoples of plains in the United States by the American government (Bergman, 2013).

Well not the only groups considered to be responsible for the near extinction of buffalo, the Métis have been named to have been part of the problem. They were considered to be wildly successful hunters, where they rode on horseback and killed by the gun. I’ve also read contradictory information about whether they used as much of the buffalo as they could or whether they were wasteful. One source claims that nothing was wasted, where all the “meat and skin was preserved and cured” before any more buffalo were killed (Teillet, 2019). But another source talks about how it was witnessed that the Métis could be quite wasteful, where hunting in the summer risked spoiling a huge amount of meat and fat if the weather suddenly became too hot and they sometimes took the best cuts of meat and best fat and left the rest of the buffalo on the field (Cunfer & Waiser, 2016).

If the latter part is true, it is certainly requires some critical reflection. If it is true, It makes me think maybe many Métis lost their teachings from their First Nations mothers, that animals are sacred and every bit of them should be used to honour them for sacrificing their lives. It’s possible that survival may have been so hard at that time they felt they had no other way to survive but to get pemmican meat and buffalo robes to market.

Relevance of the Buffalo and the Hunt to the Métis Today and in the Future: Political Tradition

First off, I recognize that as Métis people we will never go back to a subsistence life based on the buffalo.

Yet I recognize that Métis peoples’ past relationship with the buffalo and the structures that came about due to the buffalo hunt has current and future implications for the Métis, including opportunities and challenges.

One could argue that out of these buffalo hunts came a sense of unity and from that emerged a new Nation. The Métis had developed a governing system during these hunts that were based on Métis values, including egalitarianism, freedom, democracy, mobility, family and kin (Teillet, 2019). We saw these values and structures of government reflected in the Métis provisional government, of which Louis Riel was the leader, that was concerned with the rights of the Métis and negotiating the terms of entering Confederation (Bumsted, 2019). We now see these values shine through in our current local community and provincial governments, who represent us and advocate for our Métis rights today, as constitutionally enshrined Indigenous peoples in Canada.

I think that one of the opportunities that has arisen from the Métis buffalo hunt and Métis values is our strong political tradition, which our culture should continue to use in governance. I think the continuation of this political tradition is important to carry on into the future in the Métis fight for increased self-determination in a State which has continuously and continues to try to deny many of our rights, as Indigenous peoples in Canada, and more specifically as Métis people.

(Image: https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/books/recasting-riel-568290592.html)

Métis, Buffalo and the Buffalo hunt: Other Implications

I also think that the love of Métis peoples to be out on the land, where they would have rather been hunting buffalo than toiling away at agriculture, points to the fact that connection to land is an important part of Métis wellness. I have noticed that in my Métis community, particularly with youth, there is a strong desire to connect more with the land, including through the gathering of plants for food and medicine, and through hunting. In the future it would be helpful if there was more funding that helps get Métis people out on the land.

Finally, I think that the issue of the near collapse of the buffalo population is both a challenge and opportunity to the Métis peoples, and other peoples, when reflecting on the future. I think it is important for us as Métis people to reflect on the fact that we may have played a significant part in this and to use it as an opportunity to reflect and take action in the future regarding environmental protection and conservation that is done in a decolonized manner, where we take the lead from those First Nations whose traditional territories we are working in.

References

Bergman, B. (2013). Bison back from brink of extinction. The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/bison-back-from-brink-of-extinction

Bumsted, J, (2019). Red River Rebellion. The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/red-river-rebellion

Cram, S. (2020). Muddied water season 2 episode 2: The buffalo hunt [audio file]. CBC Listen. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/listen/cbc-podcasts/371-muddied-water

Cunfer, G. & Waiser, W. A. (2016). Bison and people on the North America great plains: A deep environmental history. College Station: Texas A & M University Press.

Dumont, M. (2015). The pemmican eaters: Poems. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: ECW. Retrieved from https://www-deslibris-ca.libsecure.camosun.bc.ca:2443/ID/467925

Gaudry, A. (2019). Métis. The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/metis

Kodiak, K. (2020). Lii sayzoons Michifs: L’itii (June to August) [PowerPoint presentation]. Archaeological Society of Alberta.

Métis Nation of Ontario. (n.d.). Métis historic timeline: Significant dates in the development of the Métis Nation. Retrieved from http://www.metisnation.org/culture-heritage/m%C3%A9tis-timeline/

Teillet, J. (2019). The north-west is our mother: The story of Louis Riel’s people, the Métis Nation (First ed.). Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Patrick Crean Editions, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.

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lindsaydoeslanguages · 5 years

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All The Indigenous and Endangered Language Learning Apps You Need

2019 is the International Year of Indigenous Languages as designated by UNESCO. If you’ve not yet had a chance to learn a little of an indigenous language this year, I’m making it as easy as possible and bringing you a long list of minority, indigenous and endangered language learning apps.

Before we get to the list of apps, I’ve made you a video to explain the differences between minority/minoritised, indigenous, and endangered languages.

youtube

Free Ultimate List of Language Learning Resources

I’ve added a tab with the links to these apps to my huge and ever-growing free Google Sheets file the Ultimate List of Language Learning Resources. Woohoo!

Click the image below to get free access now.

Heads up: apps and tech is ever-changing. So if there’s something that no longer works on this list or you’ve got a suggestion for a new one that does, let me know!

Ok, ready? Let’s get into this. I’m going to order things by regions as best as possible. For each region, I’ll also be starting by listing some “bigger” apps you may already know that have courses/support for indigenous or endangered languages.

North America

Below you’ve got a list of apps and developers that are designed to help people learn indigenous languages from North America. I’m including Canada, USA, and Greenland in that, but not Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America. Languages from these places are included in the section below – Latin America.

Related: Language Stories – Episode 1: New York + The 7 Line

Memrise

Memrise has a selection of courses for indigenous Native North American languages, including…

Cherokee Algonquian Alutiiq Choctaw Citizen Potawatomi Greenlandic Inuktitut Lakota Other Native American Languages

Drops

Drops has a growing range of languages, including…

Hawaiian

Duolingo

Duolingo has you covered for two North American languages:

Navajo Hawaiian

Master Any Language

Master Any Language is a website and app (Apple and Android) I discovered during my research for this article. And, wow, there’s a huge range of languages on it! Expect to see it listed under more regions below too.

Cree Greenlandic Inuktitut Inupiaq Navajo Ojibwe (and more I may have missed!)

File Hills Qu’Appelle Tribal Council Education Department

This developer has apps for a number of languages: Cree, Dakota, Lakota, Nakota, Saulteaux.

Prince Albert Grand Council

Prince Albert Grand Council has a couple of apps available for Swampy Cree and Dakota.

Binasii Inc

There’s a good number of apps from this developer for a range of languages: Dakota, Opaskwayak Cree, Saysi Dene, Long Plain Ojibway and more.

The Language Conservancy

The Language Conservancy has a large selection of apps for indigenous North American languages: Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara, Cheyenne, Yanktonai, Keres, Nakoda, Crow, Omaha, Maskoke.

Miromaa Aboriginal Language and Technology Centre

There’s a small selection of apps from this developer for Pomoan languages, a language family from northern California: Northern Pomo, Central Pomo, Southern Pomo, bahtssal.

Ogoki Learning Systems Inc

Quite a few apps and languages here: Ojibway, Saulteaux, Blackfeet, Cree, Meskwaki, Northern Tutchone and more.

Thornton Media Inc

There’s Apple and Android apps for these languages from this developer: Cree, Mohawk, Tsuut’ina, Chickasaw, Yugtun, Omaha and more.

First Peoples’ Heritage Language and Culture Council

I love how much I’ve learnt from writing this post. Before, I had no idea about any of the languages that this developer has apps for: Xeni Gwet’in, Secwépemc, Hlgaagilda Xaayda Kil, and more.

Yamózha Kúé Society

Still in awe at how many apps there are out there for indigenous and endangered languages? There’s still more to come!

Yamózha Kúé Society has apps for these languages: Inuinnaqtun, Gwich’in, Shutaot’ine, South Slavey, Tlicho, NWT Cree, Denededline.

Christopher Horsethief

Christopher Horsethief has various apps out there for the following languages: Cree, Navajo, Muckleshoot, Osage, Ktunaxa, Salish.

Aidan Pine

Aidan Pine is the developer behind Mother Tongues, a company that’s (in their own words) “Committed to creating thoughtful language revitalization tools for people”, which is pretty exciting.

So far, there’s three apps available for Apple and Android: Inuttitut, Ayajuthem, Gitksan.

Gabriel Dumont Institute

Now we’re reaching the developers specialising with one language. The first is the Gabriel Dumont Institute with an app for Michif.

Pinnguaq

Pinnguaq have an app just for Inuktitut.

Smith River Rancheria Waa-tr’vslh-‘a~ Department

One app here for Tolowa Dee-ni’.

Samson Cree Nation

An app from this developer for Maskwacis Cree.

Dakota Iapi

There’s an Apple and Android version of this app for Dakota Iapi.

Lakota Language Consortium for Lakota

There’s a really helpful selection of apps for Lakota (media player, vocab, dictionary, and keyboard) from the Lakota Language Consortium.

Old Sun Community College for Blackfoot

There’s an app for Blackfoot from Old Sun Community College.

Neechee for Ojibwe

This app is a great verb help if you’re learning Ojibwe.

Wikwemikong Heritage Organization for Anishinaabemowin

There’s an Apple and Android version of this app to help you learn Anishinaabemowin.

Latin America

There’s some support here from bigger apps but also some great options you may not have heard of too!

Related: Language Stories: Guaraní in the Heart of South America – Episode 12

Memrise

Memrise has courses for Yucatec Maya, Guarani, Nahuatl, Quechua, and Ayamara (in Spanish).

Nahuatl (some more options designed for Spanish (Mexico) and Spanish (Spain) speakers.) Yucatec Maya (plus a couple for Spanish (Spain) and Spanish (Mexico) speakers.) K’iche’ Quechua (more listed under Spanish (Mexico) Spanish (Spain) speakers.) Aymara: there’s a small number of courses listed under Spanish (Spain) and Spanish (Mexico) but none in English. Guarani (and some more courses for Spanish (Spain) and Spanish (Mexico) speakers.)

Duolingo

If you switch your language on Duolingo to Spanish, you’ll be able to access the Guarani course. Note however, that this course is actually Jopara, the mix of Guarani and Spanish spoken by many people in Paraguay.

Master Any Language

Master Any Language has simple courses for Guarani, Quechua, and Aymara on Apple and Android on their main app.

Centro Cultural de España en México

There’s Apple and Android versions for these apps from the Centro Cultural de España en México for Náhuatl, Mixteco, and Purépecha.

John Garcia

John Garcia has created two apps for Mexican languages Mixteco and Nahuatl.

IIAP

There’s a couple now that are only on the Google Play Store (as far as I could find). This huge selection of apps from IIAP includes apps for Ashaninka, Taushiro, Bora, Quechua and more.

SimiDic

Another one that’s only on the Google Play Store. This is a dictionary app that translates between three South American languages: Aymara, Guarani, Quechua.

Runashimi

This app available for both Apple and Android is to help you with Quechua.

Guaranglish

I have to include this one! We actually spoke with the developers of the app Guaranglish for our podcast and video series Language Stories.

Niuki for Wixárika

Wixárika is a language spoken in parts of Mexico by nearly 45,000 people. This app focuses on that one language.

Australasia

In this section, we’ll cover apps for indigenous and endangered languages from Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific Islands.

uTalk

Maori is available on uTalk, as well as Samoan and Fijian.

Drops

Maori and Samoan are also both available on Drops.

Master Any Language

Maori, Samoan, Fijian, Tongan, Tahitian, Nauruan, Marshallese, and possibly more I’ve missed are all included on Master Any Language, which has apps for both Apple and Android. (Some languages don’t have their own app, and are available on the main ‘Master Any Language’ app.)

Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages

The Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages has developed a great range of apps for a selection of indigenous Australian languages including Tyalingi, Wadawurrung, Wemba Wemba, Taungurung and more.

Wiradjuri Condobolin Corporation Limited

Again, another chance to keep learning about languages I knew nothing about whilst I was wriitng this article!

Wiradjuri Condobolin Corporation Limited has both Apple and Android apps for Wonnarua, Yitha Yitha, Yorta Yorta, Mutti Mutti, Wiradjuri, Barngarla, and Nari Nari.

Benedict Foley

There’s a good selection of apps here for a variety of indigenous Australian languages including Pertame, Kune, Kayardilt, Gamilaraay, Yuwaalaraay, and many more. There’s even an app to help identify birds using a range of languages that are no longer spoken but have aboriginal bird names and knowledge to be shared.

NTLanguages

There’s Apple and Android versions of this collection of apps from NTLanguages for Anindilyakwa, Eastside Kriol, Ritharrngu, Tiwi, Wubuy

Pollen

Pollen have developed a few apps for the Yorta Yorta, Gamilaraay, and Yuwaalaraay languages.

Mawng

Available on both Apple and Android, this app is the work of linguists and community members on South Goulburn Island around 300km east of Darwin.

Yawuru Ngan-ga

This app has a dictionary and vocab lists for Yawuru Ngan-ga, a language spoken in Broome, Western Australia.

Tipu Te Reo Māori

Available on both Apple and Android, Tipu Te Reo Māori is an app to help you learn Maori.

Peter Akuhata

Another one for Māori!

Te Pūmanawa

More for Maori, this time available on Apple and Android.

AUT University

One more option here for Maori learners available on both Apple and Android.

TATAU

The final one of this little run of Maori options! TATAU is a little different though as it’s focused solely on counting.

SPIKIT

Designed to teach a selection of African languages, there’s also an option here for the Australian language of Yolunu. It’s available on Apple and Android.

Charles Darwin University

The LAAL Reader from Charles Darwin University is a really cool one. With stories in over 25 languages from the Northern Territories in Australia, it’s a good way to begin to learn more about aboriginal cultures and languages.

It’s available on both Apple and Android.

Government of Western Australia

Sharing the Dreaming is an app developed by the Government of Western Australia that shares Dreamtime stories, and words and translations in the Nyoongar language.

Indigenous Remote Communications Association

The Indigenous Remote Communications Associations have developed a few apps, mainly radio stations for indigenous languages in Australia. However, there’s also indigiTUBE, which, in their own words, is “the national online media platform by and for First Nations people, preserving language and culture for our future generations.”

Asia

According to Ethnologue, Asia actually has the most indigenous languages spoken and used there, closely followed by Africa.

In this section, I’m including the Middle East here as it’s not a region I know as much about. (If you do and can help me expand it into its own section, please do let me know!)

Also, seeing as it would be a whole host of other blog articles in itself to list all the apps out there for Chinese, Japanese, Hindi, Korean…etc, I’m focusing here on endangered languages in Asia. Even then, I’m having to be a little more specific and focus on endangered languages I already know of.

You know, to try and actually be able to publish this article at some point in my lifetime!

Related: Language Stories: Kristang – A Tale of Two Cities

Memrise

Memrise has a great range of courses listed for us here. These include…

Kristang (a creole language so not really classed as indigenous, but endangered, which is what we’re focused on for this section) Ainu Jeju Western Armenian

uTalk

uTalk has a great number of indigenous Asian languages available, many are spoken by big numbers of people so not endangered, but I do want to give a mention here to uTalk for the sheer number of languages they’ve covered.

Master Any Language

Komi, a language spoken in Russia is available on Master Any Language. It’s on the main app on Apple or Android.

Africa

Again, so many indigenous languages in Africa that it’s tricky to know where to begin! And seeing as many people have never learnt an African language (myself included), I’m doing things a little differently here.

So instead, I’m focusing mainly on the key apps I’ve found that have courses in a wide range of indigenous African languages. Many have millions of speakers and yet you may never have heard of some of them! (I definitely learnt something new from putting this section together too!)

uTalk

Just like in regards to Asia, uTalk has a really exciting number of indigenous African languages available. Not all are endangered, but many are of course indigenous.

Memrise

Just from the Memrise groupings on the sidebar, there’s a lot to learn here…

Akan-Twi, Amharic, Hausa, Kaonde, Kinyarwanda, Luganda, Malagasy, Mandinka, Nyanja/Chichewa, Somali, Soninke, Swahili, Wolof, Zulu, and more.

SPIKIT

I mentioned SPIKIT above in the Australasia section because they have a simple course for a language spoken in Australia.

However, the moin focus of this app is Shona, Xhosa, Zulu, and Ndebele. And the good news is it’s on Apple and Android.

Master Any Language

So. many. options.

Master Any Language has really been one of the gems I’ve discovered writing this article. The interface is retro but that doesn’t matter when you’re short on resources. Their app is on both Apple and Android.

Europe

Again, obviously there’s English, French, Spanish, and many other widely spoken and studied languages spoken technically indigenously in Europe. However, to keep things simple, we’re going to focus on smaller indigenous European languages that may or may not be endangered.

uTalk

uTalk has a huge range of European languages including Welsh, Sicilian, Scottish Gaelic, Scots, Sardinian, Southern Saami, Neopolitan, Manx, Irish, Galician, Catalan, and Basque.

Memrise

Similarly to uTalk, Memrise has a large range of options here, including…

Basque Breton Catalan Cornish Corsican Faroese Galician Ladino Manx Neapolitan Occitan Romani Sami languages Scots Scottish Gaelic Sicilian Yiddish

Duolingo

Duolingo exists for Welsh and Catalan. Yay!

Master Any Language

There’s a whole range of European languages on Master Any Language including Cornish, Breton, Corsican, and more.

Remember that you can get this app on both Apple and Android.

SaySomethingIn…

A great series available in a range of indigenous British languages as well as a few others: Welsh and Manx available on apps, and more on their website.

Free Ultimate List of Language Learning Resources

And that’s the list! Yay!

Missed it at the start of the post? I’ve added a tab with the links to these apps to my huge and ever-growing free Google Sheets file the Ultimate List of Language Learning Resources. Woohoo!

Click the image below to get free access now.

Have you got an app that needs adding to this list? Let me know by sharing it in the comments below!

The post All The Indigenous and Endangered Language Learning Apps You Need appeared first on Lindsay Does Languages.

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#Language Learning

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notthecanadianaverage · 5 years

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for the 50 questions, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ,6 ,7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, and 50 :)

LET’S DO THIS

1. What’s your favorite candle scent?

Honestly? I’m a basic bitch xD I love vanilla scented anything. Wooden wicks are the BEST. I want to find a candle that smells like fresh cut grass and a candle that smells like lumber. Those two scents, especially together, remind me of my grandpa who worked in a lumber yard and repaired lawn mowers. I treasure those memories so much omg.

2. What female celebrity do you wish was your sister?

Does Amethyst count? I actually don’t know xD I honestly can’t even think of any celebrities that I like??? I’ll say Jenna Marbles!

3. What male celebrity do you wish was your brother?

Again, I’m not really someone who goes nuts over celebrities, heh. I don’t know how to answer this D:

4. How old do you think you’ll be when you get married?

I mean, I’m 22 now and my fingers are crossed that it will happen soonish. The boyfriend lives in California and I think it might make things easier if we get married? Then he can come here!

5. Do you know a hoarder?

I don’t think so??? I mean I could be wrong.

6. Can you do a split?

I have tried for YEARS and I CANNOT DO IT ASLAJBODUBFODSUFNODSUBFLJDBFUBEF I FUCKING WISH I COULD

7. How old were you when you learned how to ride a bike?

Fuck if I know... Damn... I remember learning when I was... I think I was... 4? Maybe? I was super young.

8. How many oceans have you swam in?

I’ve only seen one ocean, the Pacific Ocean. I don’t know if I’ve swam in it, though. I know I’ve touched it and waded in it a little, but I don’t know if I’ve actually gone swimming...

9. How many countries have you been to?

2! Just Canada and the US. I’ve always wanted to go to England and Indonesia, though! I love Harry Potter, I always have (fucking fight me) and I decided when I was little that England was a must for me, that I had to go see Hogwarts. And Indonesia, my inner volcanologist NEEDS to go! That’s where my favourite volcano, Krakatoa, is located.

10. Is anyone in your family in the army?

I hope not! I don’t think so. Or... Maybe? I think my cousin Austin is. I don’t know. I don’t remember the last time I saw him. We don’t really talk about him? My boyfriends dad was, though. That’s all I know.

11. What would you name your daughter if you had one?

OO OO OO!!!! So, my boyfriend and I have discussed this! I have a set of dog tags that I always wear that have our names and our kids names on them! We want two girls who will be named Raven Zaidee Trujillo and Dexter Rosie Trujillo. Dexter’s middle name was originally going to be Bonnuit (French for good night) but one of his best friends was sadly murdered earlier this year and he wanted to honor her memory.

12. What would you name your son if you had one?

ANOTHER QUESTION I AM EXCITED TO ANSWER!!!!! Our little boys name is going to be Blade Wayne Trujillo!!! I’ve always had a thing for the name Blade and Wayne was his dads middle name.

13. What’s the worst grade you got on a test?

Ffffffff I can’t even remember what I did yesterday... Um, I think it was a flat out 0 because I didn’t even do the test. It was a physics test. I was scared of the student aid lady at school so I never switched out of physics and I literally used that block to sleep and play on my phone. I never even showed up to write the exam.

14. What was your favorite TV show when you were a child?

Sailor Moon!!! I fucking LOVED that show!!!! I also loved Little Bear :D When I was 12, though, I was OBSESSED with this show called Disasters of the Century. It was a documentary style tv show about natural disasters and plane and train crashes and it was SO COOL. I LOVED IT SO MUCH. I used to wake up extra early before school just to watch!!

15. What did you dress up as on Halloween when you were eight?

Ummm…. I think I was a ninja? I remember I wore my karate gi out one year. I lived in Alberta at the time so there was like 2 or 3 feet of snow on the ground so I had to wear a snowsuit under my costume which was a HUGE disappointment because I was turned into a marshmallow rather than a ninja. Either that or I was Harry Potter. It was great! People always asked me though if I would rather be Hermione because I was a girl and my parents essentially told them to fuck off because I was HARRY FUCKING POTTER.

16. Have you read any of the Harry Potter, Hunger Games or Twilight series?

YES. My apartment is almost entirely Harry Potter. I have an Expecto Patronum tattoo and my ratty memorial tattoo on my leg is also Harry Potter. I am a diehard fan until the end. Fucking fight me. I also read and own the Hunger Games trilogy. Such good books omg. I was in the Amazing Book Race club in school and one year we had to read The Hunger Games and we even did a book trailer for it! I still have it! We showed my boyfriend when he came out in April xD The books are MUCH better than the movies.

17. Would you rather have an American accent or a British accent?

British! Does my Harry Potter loving ass need to say more?

18. Did your mother go to college?

I don’t think so? I’m not sure. I don’t know if anyone in my family has.

19. Are your grandparents still married?

Kind of? Not really. My Papa passed away from lung cancer in 2010.

20. Have you ever taken karate lessons?

Yes xD I started when I was 5 and I stopped when I was 13 I think? I got injured in a biking accident and had to leave. I was going to go back but as I was getting ready to, I got a really bad knee injury and I just haven’t been back. I really want to go back, though! It was fun and I don’t get nearly enough exercise.

21. Do you know who Kermit the frog is?

I sure as fuck hope I do!

22. What’s the first amusement park you’ve been to?

I think it was Playland, my parents would have taken me when I Was super young. But the first amusement park I remember going to is Callaway Park in Alberta. I loved that place! I remember throwing a temper tantrum because my dad told the lady was 6 when I was actually 8 and I LOST MY MIND.

23. What language, besides your native language, would you like to be fluent in?

Any language! I speak French but I would love to learn Michif which is the native language of Metis people as I am Metis c:

24. Do you spell the color as grey or gray?

I think I alternate, actually xD

25. Is your father bald?

Yes, he is!

26. Do you know triplets?

I was about to say no, but I think I met triplet babies once who I may or may not be distantly related to? I’m not actually sure anymore.

27. Do you prefer Titanic or The Notebook?

I’ve never actually seen either! I feel like the Titanic would be a no go for me, though, because I have issues with big boats and the fact that it’s real fucks me up and also James Cameron almost killed his cast by actually making them sit in ice cold water for the sake of hard nipples and realism????

28. Have you ever had Indian food?

I have had very badly made butter chicken once. It was so bad, WAY too much curry. And I think my boyfriend and I once ordered from an Indian restaurant. I ordered from the kids menu because that was the only place where there was non-spicy options xD

29. What’s the name of your favorite restaurant?

Umm... Hmm... White Spot? Maybe... But I also enjoy El Grullesays Grill... I slaughtered that name ;_; It’s a Mexican restaurant in California that serves meaty fries! God I miss meaty fries... They’re like nacho fries! They have mozzarella cheese, sour cream, green onions, and shredded steak :3

30. Have you ever been to Olive Garden?

I actually don’t know. I think maybe? But I was too young to remember it. I think I’ve gotten leftovers, though, from when my grandma went.

31. Do you belong to any warehouse stores (Costco, BJ’s, etc.)?

I’m too broke for that shit ._____.

32. What would your parents have named you if you were the opposite gender?

Pfft beats the fuck outta me. We never talked about that.

33. If you have a nickname, what is it?

Bug!

34. Who’s your favorite person in the world?

Honestly? My boyfriend xD He is one of the very few people in this world who doesn’t tolerate me because he loves and embraces all of my weirdness xD Him and G are my favourite peeps.

35. Would you rather live in a rural area or in the suburbs?

I actually can never remember which is which and I mean, I’m not picky. As long as people leave me alone and I’m in a safe area, I’m happy xD

36. Can you whistle?

Yes! Can you hear me? I’m doing it!

37. Do you sleep with a nightlight?

I do not. I used to want to when I was little. I have one in my bathroom, though.

38. Do you eat breakfast every morning?

Pfft. No. I’m not a breakfast person. I work nights so I get home at 7 in the morning so if I eat before I go to bed, no joke, I will just make a box of macaroni.

39. Do you take any pills or medication daily?

I do! I take medication for my ADHD so that I don’t eat everything in my apartment and I can function somewhat normally.

40. What medical conditions do you have?

I am ADHD, I struggle with depression (it’s not nearly as bad as it use to be luckily), anxiety, I suspect BPD. I have a few joint injuries that will never really properly heal but other than that, nothing.

41. How many times have you been to the hospital?

Hehehe…. Um… For me? Food poisoning… injuries… suicide attempts… hmmm… 11 or 12 times? All but one in the last 10 years. What can I say, I’m clumsy as fuck xD

42. Have you ever seen Finding Nemo?

Yes! I love that movie!!

43. Where do you buy your jeans?

Pennington’s. I am THICC. It’s the only place I can get jeans that fit without destroying what little confidence I have. Sadly though they are NOT cheap so I currently only own 2 pairs that fit me and the thighs on both are destroyed so they are being held together by denim patches from an old pair of shorts, fabric glue and some mediocre hand stitching.

44. What’s the last compliment you got?

I have vibrantly coloured hair. Right now, it’s green. I’ve had very brightly coloured hair since I was 15 I think? My natural colour is brown. I’ve only had brown hair once since I started dying it and that was when I went to go visit my boyfriend for the first time because he had never seen me with my natural colour. I just said that I looked weird with brown hair and he said “No, you look incredible.”

45. Do you usually remember your dreams in the morning?

Hmm, sometimes. Most of the time, I do. Been having a lot of nightmares and stress dreams lately, though, so I wish I didn’t...

46. What flavor tea do you enjoy?

I absolutely prefer herbal teas. My favourite is Just Peachy from DavidsTea!! I also REALLY love White Peach omg

47. How many pairs of shoes do you currently own?

Ahh…. Hmm…. I have… 8 or 9? I think? I’m not home so I can’t check.

48. What religion will you raise your children to practice?

None. I grew up Atheist. I knew of religion, obviously. My grandma is religious. But I just never understood it. My understanding was that there was a God and that he lived in the clouds and I remember looking at the sky one day and there were no clouds and I was concerned. I also didn’t understand Heaven or Hell because neither have been seen and the lack of tangibility fucked with me so hard. My grandpa got really sick in 2009, he had lung cancer. I remember when he was in the hospital I really tried to look for something, anything, to turn to for comfort because everything was falling apart around me. He unfortunately passed away and I was angry because if God is real and if he actually loved us, why would he let us suffer the way that he did, the way that I was. How dare he?! That was honestly the last straw for me. If my children want to explore religion or they want to go to church and see what it’s all about, I will absolutely support them in doing so, but I will not raise them in any specific religion.

49. How old were you when you found out that Santa wasn’t real?

That was something I just kind of grew out of. I was never exclusively told that any of that was fake. I actually have a memory from when I was 3 or 4 of sneaking out of my room really late at night and peeking into the living room where I could hear my parents talking and I saw Santa and Mrs. Clause? I also remember one Christmas night where I couldn’t sleep (this is when I was maybe 10 now) so I was watching the snow fall outside and seeing if I could spot Santa in the sky when I heard someone walking in the hall. I lived in a bit of an abusive household so I had learned what everyone’s footsteps sounded like and the footsteps were heavy, MUCH heavier than my dads (who was very overweight at the time), it definitely wasn’t my Uncle, and they were wearing shoes (or boots). I was too scared to go look outside while they walked away but after the house was quiet again, I checked, and my stocking was outside my door, so I still don’t know how to explain that...

50. Why do you have a youtube?

AHAHAHA SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION!!!! I obviously have my personal YouTube but I don’t generally post anything, I just use it to watch shit. BUT MY OTHER YOUTUBE… I use YouTube @RatPotatoez to post videos of my rats! I will also soon use it to post my podcasts!!! RatPotatoez can also be found on Facebook, Instagram, SnapChat, Vent, basically everywhere! You should go follow me everywhere so you can see the cuteness that is my rats c:

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info-copa · 5 years

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The Circle Widens: Wrapping-Up

Deb St. Amant is Ojibwe and Métis, a retired teacher, the Elder-in-Residence in the Faculty of Education at Queen’s, and the Coordinator of Queens University’s Aboriginal Teacher Education Program (ATEP). She is also one of COPA’s most precious allies and collaborators. For the past 2 years, she has been working with us on the Circle Widens project, traveling far and wide all over Ontario to present COPA’s resources for educators, families, and community workers to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.

As the Circle Widens project draws to a close, I had a conversation with Deb about some of the themes that had emerged in those visits.

Deb says that the best part of this project was the opportunity to sit with people in Circles – she believes that it simply does not happen enough, and that sitting in Circle together is essential and also very powerful. It generates important conversations, support, and sharing – in other words, connection.

In January, at our workshop in Kingston, there was quite a bit of talk in the Circle about racist bullying in the schools. One grandmother told the story of her grandson – whose hair had been cut at school without the permission of his family. She was new to Kingston and was very shocked and upset. When she opened up about this experience in the Circle, she found others who shared her outrage and who supported her with both comfort and ideas. She left our gathering at the end of the evening feeling less alone and more aware of the resources that exist in the community to support Indigenous families and students.

When Deb and Mohini presented the new storybooks and showed some films from A Circle of Caring to the Kingston gathering, it was the bullying resources that were most appreciated. One grandfather spoke out about the need for people with good hearts to get together and talk about bullying and racism and use the resources to build capacity for addressing the bullying that Indigenous children experience.

Since that Circle, COPA kits and storybooks have been shared widely in the Kingston area – to schools and community groups. The ATEP students were especially excited to use the storybooks in their next teaching practice rounds, and Deb spoke with them about how they could use the storybooks and toolkits in their future practice. And there is talk in the community and beyond of how to use the new version of COPA’s storybook in 7 Indigenous languages, English and French, as a tool for language learning and revitalization.

In Sioux Lookout, we heard more about bullying. We heard about it again from Grandmothers raising grandkids who are being bullied in school, and we shared with them COPA’s bullying and cyberbullying resources and online courses – the tools they needed to support these children.

Another grandmother shared her story within the Circle about the hard times she has had after 2 deaths occurred in her home, and how her grandson needed counseling. And the people in the Circle heard her need and came to her help; providing information, suggestions and resources for her.

Tools, toolkits, and storybooks from COPA were shared out to educators, parents and community members. Some had come to be with us for the second time. They had already seen our toolkits but wanted now to share them with parent councils and other Indigenous councils and groups in the area. Deb was happy to have met up with a graduate of ATEP who now teaches in a community near Sioux Lookout, and this young teacher was happy to discover COPA resources to use in her Kindergarten class.

A special thanks go out from COPA to our ally Candi Edwards, for spreading the word about COPA in the Sioux Lookout community.

In Sudbury, we met with a small group of people who were thrilled to discover COPA’s resources. Hazel, who works with at-risk Indigenous youth in the community, loves our new storybooks, and couldn’t wait to get them out into the wider community.

And several French teachers who attended our workshop happily discovered that the language THEY speak is actually Michif! They learned this from listening to COPA’s short films in Michif. What a discovery!

And then there was our day with the Métis Nation of Ontario in Thorold, Ontario. It was a blustery, snowy day at the Métis professional gathering, and there was lots of networking with social workers and HIV/AIDS workers from De dwa da dehs nye s Aboriginal Health Centre, as well as other community professionals. COPA was honoured to be a small part of this fun event where resources were shared throughout the community, including our short films and storybooks in Michif! The crowd loved them, and we had some great discussions with everyone.

How wonderful that COPA storybooks and toolkits are being sent out and shared all over Ontario - far and wide! Along with the focus on Indigenous languages, the storybooks offer messages of kindness, caring, compassion, and belonging that resonate with everyone, and people are anxious to share them with children in every community. Where will YOU find our resources? At the 2019 Anishinaabemowin Teg Conference, at the Great Moon Gathering, and we are sending them to Northern Reserves too. Or you can order them from us online.

Circles?

I ended my conversation with Deb talking about the good work COPA is doing, the work that needs to continue, and the work that needs to be done in the future. What is the work we are doing that needs to continue? It is the work toward reconciliation. It is more resources in more languages: bullying resources, anti-racism resources, and cultural pride, to name a few. It is working with families and educators to build their capacity to support the success of Indigenous students, and to help non-Indigenous students learn about reconciliation.

What is needed in the future? Deb thinks that it involves both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people sitting together in Circles talking, trying to understand and help each other and offer solutions to problems facing Indigenous peoples. And it is Indigenous people sitting in Circles, sharing their stories and needs and supporting each other with care, information, and resources. And it needs to happen everywhere, and now.

The desire to talk and share, the need to speak from your heart and get help and comfort – this is what came forward over and over in the course of the Circle Widens project. Deb says all Indigenous people need community talking Circles so they can bring forward the issues they need help with.

What are we waiting for?

Betsy Thomas

#indigenous education #indigenous issues #indigenous languages

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factoronto · 7 years

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#Resistance150: An Interview with Tia Cavanagh

by Carly Friesen

This year marks the Canadian government’s celebration of “Canada 150,” and as July 1st quickly approaches, the country has already begun celebrating the 150th anniversary of confederation that birthed this nation-state.

Meanwhile, many Indigenous people across this land have been organizing responses to these celebrations. One of the names this resistance has been given is #Resistance150, which was coined by Michif artist Christi Belcourt, Cree activist Tanya Kappo, Métis elder Maria Campbell and Anishinaabe traditional teacher Isaac Murdoch (you can read more about them here).

#Resistance150 was born out of a frustration that the Canadian government has, once again, pushed aside the true history of Turtle Island. To learn more about #Resistance150, I spoke with Tia Cavanagh, an Anishinaabe artist making work inspired by this movement.

Tia Cavanagh is an artist from the Sagamok Nation and mixed European background. She identifies as Anishinaabe, which means First People in Anishinaabemowin (the Ojibwe language). Cavanagh completed her undergrad at OCAD University in Drawing and Painting, and will be starting her masters degree at Trent University in Canadian and Indigenous Studies this fall. She is an inspiring artist and a strong advocate for the Indigenous community, so it is no surprise that she is using her art to engage with #Resistance150.

One of Cavanagh's recent works, an oil painting titled “Oh Canada” (below), was featured in OCAD's 2017 Annual Graduate Exhibition. The piece features the Canadian flag with John A. Macdonald’s face as the maple leaf, and imagery of a residential school in the background. It calls attention to Canada’s true history and forces the viewer to reflect on Canada’s conflicting identity. As a figure still largely celebrated within the Canadian nation-state, the painting connects Macdonald's policies—which orchestrated the Indian Act—to their undeniable legacy in regards to Indigenous communities' generational experiences of the residential school system.

Oh Canada, 2017

When speaking with Cavanagh about her work, she mentioned the importance of using art to connect with and mobilize communities. She elaborated, saying: “I feel community-engaged art can build connectivity, understanding, mobilization and above all, pathways to self-determination.”

When we specifically discussed Canada 150, she spoke to her disappointment that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was not being used as a guiding force in the celebrations. After all the contributions First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples made to the TRC, she had hoped to see the TRC being enacted during the 150 events.

However, Tia's work is not just about Canada 150— it also portrays the ongoing resistance that is urgently needed in Canada. She shared her future plans for art projects inspired by resistance. “I'm currently taking part in an Ontario Arts Council grant with other artists. The team of artists have created artistic workshops, some centered around Anishinaabe teachings, geared towards Indigenous survivors of violence. We will be doing these workshops over two years in our surrounding communities. My workshop is titled "Beading with Texture: Our Stories," whereby swatches of fabric of varied textures will speak towards an experience, a feeling and will be quilted together with various stories.”

Below is another piece by Cavanagh, titled “Cross Lake Residential School.” This work depicts imagery of a classroom from a residential school, and does not shy away from highlighting the religious influence in these horribly dehumanizing government-funded institutions.

Cross Lake Residential School, 2016

Cavanagh's critical and unsettling work powerfully contributes to the ongoing discussions not only around #Resistance150, but also to the continued resistance against colonization and the erasure of Canada’s Indigenous history.

A special thank you to Tia Cavanagh for sharing her work, and taking the time to speak with FAC. You can find her online at: https://tiacavanagh.com and on Instagram at: @tiabobia33.

#tiacavanagh #resistance150 #unsettling150 #resist150 #canada150 #oilpainting #ohcanada

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