Eeyak Language Extinct...

[Dean in Eureka, CA]

Marie Smith Jones, the last full-blooded member of Alaska's Eeyak people died on Monday at the age of 89. For the past 15 years, since her sister's death in 1992, she was the only Eeyak speaking person alive. Working with the University of Alaska, attempts to save the language became a lost cause with her passing. This is both sad and shocking to me...

[angib]

I guess January is the month for these sort of stories as mid-winter is the most common time to die. A similar attempt to record a language from its last speaker is being undertaken in Nepal:
The last of Nepal's Dura speakers

Andrew

[The Teardrop Nanny]

When I was in the Palm Springs Museum they had a listing of all the various tribes in the U.S. and the number of people still living who spoke the native language. It has been dwindling down as older tribal members pass away and younger folks do not speak their ancestor's language. Here locally, the Hupa/Yurok/Karuk tribes have had a language revival and are bringing their native tongues to the fore front, with elders teaching the younger and offering classes in school. I believe the Hupa High School even offers their language as a "second language" option for the students. Teaching about the changes that occur in our country and how it influences our culture is important to me. The education about various groups that lived in the past, and teaching about the demise/dying out of a recent cultural group is something I do with my students in hopes that they will realize how important it is to preserve languages, dances, music, foods, etc. of ALL nations/peoples.

TDN