Que sí qu'a Queimada e outras cousas teñen data d'orixe nos 60-70's que xaaaaaa que celta blablabla. Que temos sabere diferenciare propaghanda española facha baleira pra nos tomare polo chifre do capador e nutriren á costa da nosa terra, e a elecciónhe activa do noso pobo de re-creare e atopare unha identidade de nós logho de séculos de opresión e asimilaciónhe que ainda non rematou nin ten trazas, taméeeeen. E tbh, se podemos darlle á volta a isa propaghanda ata o punto qu'os nasionalistais ejpañois estoxan por mor os vieiros que tomamos pra establesere a NOSA identidade lonxe da española, pois oes. Nos máis deles eu só vexo actos desesperados d'amore propio. Dos 60' ou do século X, é nós.
It’s critically endangered, meaning there are very few native speakers left, who are also elderly, and young people are not picking up the language, but the Spokane Tribe website offers language classes, so hopefully things are improving! Spokane doesn’t have its own original writing system, so a modified Latin script is used. You can read more about the Spokane and Salish languages and people on Wikipedia, here, here and here.
First, lemme say, as malihini (foreigner, guest) in Hawai'i nei, to learn ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi is our kuleana (both privilege+responsibility). Given the history and ongoing illegal occupation, learning even just a little ʻōlelo and doing our part to renormalize its day-to-day use is the least - and I do mean the bare minimum - I or anyone else visiting as tourist or living on this 'āina can do. And it should be done with respect for nā kānaka oiwi, their culture, and their ʻāina as language is not separate of these things.
I am no expert and clearly I still have a lot to learn and need all the help I can get, but if anyone else is eager to learn too, I'm happy to share some of the resources others have shared with me to supplement my online classes. Many are free and available online!
Now, having said that, e kala mai! Please don't take this as an invitation to roast me but if you're kānaka and/or nā po'e ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, please do feel free to offer feedback! I am always eager to learn and practice with others!! I am truly humbled by the opportunity to do so.
For context, some friends and I were hoping to meet up via zoom last night to study and practice ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi together. We are trying to meet up regularly to practice and encourage each other. Our goal for this week was to polish our ho'olauna (introductions). Unfortunately, we had to cancel/reschedule. But I've challenged myself to practice speaking every day (and not just practice my reading/writing comprehension), even if itʻs just for a few minutes. So.....
I recorded myself practicing and ya'll get to be my accountability buddies this time.
I've been learning 'Ōlelo Hawaiʻi online since this summer. One challenge I face no matter what language I speak (even English) is overcoming my social anxieties. I often freeze and/or nervously fumble over my words, particularly in group settings. Of course, this increases the less familiar I am with the language and/or culture. What fun! Aaaand Zoom classes tend to bump the dial up several notches and send my anxiety soaring through the roof. The emotional landscape of the state of the world certainly doesnʻt help either! So, Iʻm trying to make concerted efforts outside of class to help me lean into the challenges of learning online and my own discomfort. So, here we are...
Please note, this isn't my formal or more traditional ho'olauna but this is my effort to stretch and try to finds ways to speak to some of the many questions that often come up whenever I have to introduce myself, particularly when it comes to where I am "from"...
Spoiler alert: I am a multi-ethnic Shimanchu, born on the island of Uchinaa but raised in the diaspora. You can call me Okinawan / Uchinaanchu or Ryukyuan / LooChooan but please know that I am NOT Japanese. Being given Japanese citizenship at birth does not erase the violent overthrow of our Kingdom and ongoing illegal occupation of the Loo Choo islands. No matter how much the Japanese government has tried to kill and/or beat or erase Shimanchu and the rich history and culture of the Loo Choo Kingdom, they cannot take away the blood that runs through my veins and the pride I hold in my heart for all of the gifts and lessons my ancestors have passed down to me.
Also, much like trying to learn my own heritage languages like Uchinaaguchi or Chahta Anumpa, it can be challenging to find folks who are both willing and able to practice indigenous languages, thanks to colonialism and the intergenerational trauma and institutional erasure or other barriers it creates/created. But I have been truly inspired by innovative and empowering ways indigenous brothers/sisters/siblings across the globe are leveraging technology to heal, connect, and overcome these hurdles, especially during these times of social distancing. (I mean, have yʻall been on TikTok??) So, here's my attempt to use technology to break down some of these barriers while also confronting some of my fears.
Who knows...maybe itʻll inspire someone else to tackle some of your own fears, transform the way you think about technology, ....or perhaps (hopefully!) it'll make you pause to think about our individual and collective responsibility to decolonize ourselves and our communities and to honor the lands we call home - and the indigenous / aboriginal / First Nations peoples of the lands where we live - wherever in the world we find ourselves. (OK, gonna stop there for now before I start ranting about Asian Settler Colonialism, but consider this me lovingly calling in all Shimanchu here in Hawaiʻi to join me...)
OK. One minute challenge. Here we go!! *deep breaths*
Finally back on my blog and though I'm behind on these posts, I'm spending the next few weeks catching up! 20 Endangered Languages in 2020: Māori - Review #languagelearning #tereo
While I might not have been especially active on this blog of late, I have kept up with my endangered languages. I’ve not missed a day of studying so far this year (!!) and although I know what I’ve learnt of these languages is going to drop off quickly, I still have learnt a lot. Anyway, here’s how I got on with te reo!
First of all: I’m stopping with the videos for now. Mostly because I’ve…
Discord is a nice place to discuss languages, have conversations in them and to share information about grammar, revitalisation and culture. I can really recommend you take a look at the following servers as they are dealing with certain, endangered languages or with language endangerment in general.
Frisian Languages https://discord.gg/E3CU29a
Inuit-Yupik-Unangan (Eskimo-Aleut) https://discord.gg/CKvS4HN
Celtic Languages https://discord.gg/ebtsUSH
Scots Language https://discord.gg/BMNKjZJ
Minority & Regional Languages & Cultures https://discord.gg/wvk2acb
United Nations of Ancient and Endangered and Languages https://discord.gg/te89K64
Native American Culture and Languages https://discord.gg/U3PyrYb
Ingvaeonic Languages Hub https://discord.gg/wEYJk96
