"Sharing one skin: The Okanagan people" by Jeanette Armstrong 

In the article, “Sharing one skin”,  by Jeanette Armstrong, it talks about physical self, emotional self, thinking- intellectual self, and spiritual self. Armstrong also shares pieces of information on where she comes from the “Okanagan community” Armstrong speaks on the behalf of her community and how they connect so well with mother nature but not all people from her community follow the Okanagan heritage and refers to them as “people without hearts” who have lost the faith to to experience the deep generational bond with other humans as well as their surroundings. 

Armstrong, Jeanette. “Sharing One Skin: The Okanagan Community,” in Jerry Mander and Edward Goldsmith (eds), The Case Against the Global Economy. San Francisco, CA, Sierra Club Books, 1996. Pp 460-470..

                              "one house, one voice, one heart" by Sally hyer 

After reading this book “one house, one voice, one heart” by Sally Hyer it talks about young kids getting taken from their communities and families. The kids who attended the boarding schools were only 5-6 years old when they were taken away and taught to only speak English and got discipline if they talked in their own languages. The students had to adapt to new ways such as learning a new religion other than their own. Boys and girls changed their perspectives and the way they dressed as well, like boys who went to school wore WWI clothing and “military drilling was an essential part of the training at SFIS”. Throughout their time at the boarding schools were rough enough some kids even ran away from the school but they would also get sent back to the school from one little phone. 

Hyer, Sally. One house, one voice, one heart : native American education at the Santa Fe Indian School. Museum of New Mexico Press, 1990.

"Native Languages of North America: the European Response" by William Cowan

The Europeans began to come and stay in North America in the seventeenth century and the language Europeans encountered was unlike anything they had before. In Europe there were but a few languages, which were spoken by large numbers of people, hundreds of thousands, in North America. There were dozens of languages spoken by very small speech communities in the hundreds of thousands. In Mexico and Peru the language structure was subject to peoples continuing to speak their own languages. The languages of North America were neither written nor did they have such traditions. The Europeans set about the record and describe the language being spoken. 

Cowan, W. (1974). Native Languages of North America: The European Response. American Indian Culture and Research Journal , 1(2). http://dx.doi.org/10.17953 Retrieved from https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4fj465g4

¨ how indigenous languages can be preserved, and why those efforts help revitalize culture¨ 

in the article ¨ how indigenous languages can be preserved and why those efforts help revitalize culture by Wade, Daryl talks about how indigenous languages were lost because many actions through history put pressure on tribal communities to abandon the use of their language which forced assimilation that resulted from the indian civilization act of 1819. This act then went and established boarding schools to teach subjects as math and science. Boarding schools lasted until the mid 26th century; it was then devastating for indigenous communities and their languages; there were 300 indigenous languages spoken in what is now the United States. Today communities are struggling to pass these languages on to a younger generation. Many tribal members and elders from this time have recounted how they did not pass the language on to their children for fear of discrimination. Bringing the language back is what ¨helps make us whole again¨, how we empower our culture through speaking our languages we began to undo the damage caused by years of cultural and linguistic oppression. Students benefit from learning these languages by participating in language and cultural revitalization programs as well as being more engaged in traditional activities. Participants have continuously risen over the past 20 years. This is a significant development. 

Baldwin, Daryl Wade. “Analysis: How Indigenous languages can be preserved, and why those efforts help revitalize culture.” PBS, 10 October 2022, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/analysis-how-indigenous-languages-can-be-preserved-and-why-those-efforts-help-revitalize-culture. Accessed 4 November 2024.

         “Spanish: A Language of Indigenous peoples of the Americas”

“Spanish: A Language of Indigenous peoples of the Americas” by Florencia Riegelhaupt, Roberto Luis Carrasco, Elizabeth Brandt talks about Spanish clearly not being an “indigenous language” of the Americas, has become one of the and sometimes the only language of indigenous people. When the Spaniards began to colonize the Americas, they knew that they would profit, both in terms of wealth, as well as Christianity. They believed conversation to be their role so that “heathens” would be saved and extended ideology. When the Americans acquired this territory in 1848, both Mexicans and indigenous groups were considered conquered people, the conquered people were then put through segregated schools for the Mexicans and boarding schools for the Indians. In these schools, Mexican and indigenous students were punished for speaking their languages. If a teacher heard a language other than English in the Mexican and indigenous classrooms, they would hit their students fingers/ hands or their heads with a ruler. Today in these communities the native languages are spoken primarily by those who are 59 years or older. Spanish has or should be seen as an asset for U.S. indigenous peoples. It coexisted with indigenous languages and bilingualism among indigenous people. 

Riegelhaupt, Florencia, Roberto Luis Carrasco, and Elizabeth Brandt. "Spanish: A language of indigenous peoples of the Americas." Nurturing native languages (2003): 129-140.

Aamjiwnaang First Nation goes digital as it launches a new language app by Colin Graf shares that the Anishinaabemowin language app that is catered to a beginner learner of the Ojibwe language, but accessible to all ages. Along with some expert help, teachers and early childhood workers have crafted the “Anishinaabemowin language phone app featuring local speakers” to help with revitalizing the language for students from pre school to adult. Work on the app began in 2019, preparing word lists, organizing the lyrics for familiar children’s songs to be included, and recruiting speakers. The new app is only one way the community is promoting language learning. The educators have had help from their counterparts at Chippewas of the Thames First Nation who are running an Ojibwe language immersion program at Antler River school. The app will also play songs in a vehicle and does not require WiFi or data access after installation, making it helpful for parents, grandparents or other adults on the go. 

Graf, Colin. “Aamjiwnaang First Nation goes digital as it launches new language app – Anishinabek News.” Anishinabek News, 15 January 2021, https://anishinabeknews.ca/2021/01/15/aamjiwnaang-first-nation-goes-digital-as-it-launches-new-language-app/. Accessed 5 February 2025.

My SHP topic on language loss has always been a personal connection for me because growing up  I was taught to learn and speak my language.  Back at home I  have elders who just talk to me in our language and who encourage me to speak it as well.  This is something I hope to inspire people to be interested  in it as much as i am and take advantage of it, That way we won't lose this language, I  want my sisters as well to learn our language so that way we all understand each others and could just talk to each others in our language instead of speaking English and for us to speak to our elders in our language so  they understand us as well, because they hardly even understand english. This is also very important to me because growing up my dad wanted me to learn to speak my language as well as my sister. I remember he would tell us stories and from those stories I would pick up more on my language.