infundibulum

TheStar.com - Keeping a native language alive

Word of the program has sparked great interest in native communities across North America.

“We have received calls from the Six Nations, the Sak and Fox Nations of Oklahoma, the Navaho of Arizona, the Squamish of British Columbia, the Seminoles of Florida, the Inuit and the Ojibwa in Ontario,” Goodleaf says. “They all want to know how it is working out.”

The program is based on the Rosetta Stone language learning software. It seems they have a program aimed at Endangered Languages.

The article also mentions some legislative plans in the works:

Not only is the program being used in schools and private homes, but by Sept. 1, the council will require Kahnawake’s 900 public servants to enrol in Mohawk language lessons. This includes social workers, teachers, medical workers, firefighters, peacekeepers and infrastructure employees.

“There’s a fine line on our public employees in learning Mohawk. We’re not going to throw people out,” Delisle says. “We’re not trying to force businesses to conform immediately. We’re not saying your job is being threatened if you don’t learn our language, but people with language skills will definitely be an asset when it comes to hiring. There is no real timeline (for language enforcement) but this is transitional. If we don’t see the necessary results, we will have to be stricter.”

Grand Chief Michael Delisle says that they’re targetting something like 80% fluency for all public employees within 15 years, an ambitious number.