Endangered Languages Program Awards

2008 Awards

On this page you will short descriptions of the projects selected to receiveELP grants in 2008. For more information about the projects please contact us atmariyamsacredearth@gmail.com.

PROJECTS IN RUSSIA

• Udege language and culture school for children

Grantee: nonprofit organization"Tigr", Primorye, Russian Far East, Russia

Community of Small Nation Native People “Tigr” is a nonprofit uniting nativepeople living in village Krasnyi Yar, Primorye, Russia. Population of thevillage is 664, out of which native Udege people constitute 546. This is 80% ofall Udege people living in the Russian territory. The goal of the Community ispreservation and development of traditional way of life of Udege and their usageof natural resources. The majority of Udege people reside in China. In Russia,Udege language is spoken by about 10 people in village Agzu, Primorye, and about40 people in village Krasnyi Yar, most of them without literacy. Most of thesepeople are over 50 years old. The Krasnyi Yar village still keeps Udegetraditions. Even 15 years ago Udege people could teach their children theirnative language in schools. Now there is no such practice. The project willorganize lessons in Udege langiage for school-age children. Play form of thelessons, learning about the wild nature in field conditions through Udegelanguage will promote interest of young people in these educational summeractivities and popularization of Udege language not only among Udege youth butalso children of other ethnicities.

• Udege education for adults

Grantee: Irina Kanchuga, Primorye, Russian Far East, Russia

Educational programs in Udege language for adults. The project offers ongoingUdege language instruction with the help of Udege elders and teachers of Udegelanguage, as well as offers traditional skills workshops. The project isoriented towards middle-aged group who still remember the language but do notreally speak it

• Udege language learning support

Grantee: Udege resource center "Suneini", Primorye, Russian Far East, Russia

The goal of the project is creation of conditions for learning and usingUdege language through signs, posters, educational materials.. Geographically,the project will be in Primorye, Russia (near Vladivostok). The project willinclude publishing of educational materials, organization of Udege traditionalperformances, conference "Udege language: modern condition", publishing anewsletter in Udege and Russian languages, creating signs and posters in Udegefor schools and public places.

• Preservation of Shor Folklore Heritage

Grantee: Alexander Archabakov, Kemerovo, Southern Siberia, Russia

Shor people live in Kemerovo Oblast in South Siberia, Russia, and accordingto the 2002 Census they number 12000 people. Shor language belongs to Khakasssubgroup of Uigur-Oguz group of ancient Turkic languages. Out of these 12000Shor people living in Mountainous Shoria and Khakassia, not more than 1000people can speak their native language fluently. Mostly, these are elderlypeople who live in far away Shor villages. The task of collecting, preservingand learning the unique heritage of Shor ancestors is now the most importantproblem, which needs urgent solution. A large part of Shor folklore is heroictales which includes throat singing and are accompanied by two-string musicalinstrument komus. In order to preserve a large number of unique audio recordingsof this folklore, the project will transfer audio tapes into digital format topreserve the quality of sound for generations to come.

• Introduction of Soyot and Evenk languages into school curriculum

Grantee: Department of Education, Ulan-Ude University, Buryatia, Russia

Soyot and Evenk languages are two of endangered languages of Buryatia. Soyotculture is indigenous to the mountains and taiga of Buryatia (close toMongolia), but Soyot language and cultural tradition have been neglected in thelast 70 years. Evenks is an ethnic group dispersed throughout central Siberiawhose livelihoods depended for centuries on reindeer herding andhunting/gathering in the taiga. The goals of the project are: Development oftextbooks for kindergarten, elementary and middle school Soyot and Evenkstudents; Involvement of young indigenous leaders in preservation of theirlanguages; Distribution of the educational materials from the projects inschools/kindergardens. The project also will work on developing methodology toinvolve family members in supporting language acquisition of children.

PROJECTS IN THE USA

• Chumash language project

Grantee: The Sacred Earth Foundation, Santa Barbara, CA

It is believed that more than 18,000 Chumash People originally lived in thearea of Central California, ranging from Malibu to Paso Robles and to theNorthern Channel Islands. Today, 249 Chumash are residents of the Santa YnezReservation and are the only federally recognized members, however; manyresidents of Santa Barbara claim the heritage and have vast records indicatingtheir native roots. The project will offer assistance to the Tsmuwich (coastal)or Barbarenos Band of the Chumash people through actively reaching out to theyounger children of this community. The project will organize story times forthe youngest children who are the ones who will most likely bring forth thelanguage into reality again. Also, the project will record the sacred songs thatare still sung by many along with the English translations and teach these songsto the children

• Potawatomi language project

Grantee: Don and Dolores Perrot, Neshnabé Institute for Cultural Studies,Tecumseh, OK

The Potawatomi Language is an Algonquin language, and has 2 major dialects,Northern and Southern, as well as slight regional differences. The language isan ancient one, and contains the history, cosmology, theology, sociology, andbasic cultural norms, mores, sanctions, and taboos of the Potawatomi people. Inshort, the loss of this language will ultimately result in the loss of theculture of the Potawatomi. To this end, this ongoing project has developed awebsite and several weekly online classes. The funding from SEN will allow theInstitute to purchase specific technology needed for upgrading the website,expanding online classes, and creating interactive programming targeting theyouth of the Potawatomi Nation

• Lakota children language programs

Grantee: Tusweca Tiospaye, Pine Ridge, SD

The project provides language and cultural programs to children and familoesof the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. These programs include Lakota languageclasses that require parental involvement; Lakota camps where children attendlanguage classes and are taught traditional Lakota arts and crafts, music andgames in Lakota language, and a pow-wow. All these activities are designed toteach, promote, and strengthen Lakota language and way of life among the youngin the community.