|
Chíkmàa, chisáhmíⁿ.Oklahoma is a very linguistically diverse state. Among the 39 tribes of Oklahoma are represented 33 distinct languages, from about 11 different language families. However, these tribal languages are disappearing at an alarming rate. Some of them have already died, such as Tonkawa and Kanza. Many others are moribund, meaning that although still spoken by the older generation, the languages have not been passed on to the children. Language is a vital part of the cultures of the Indian tribes of Oklahoma, something which can be used in modern everyday life. The purpose of this website is to make greetings in all the native languages of Oklahoma available on the Internet, but more than that, it is to promote the usage and learning of these languages. Many tribes have language programs to help people learn their ancestral language, and there are also many online resources for this purpose. I hope that you will not only learn how to say "hello", but also be motivated to begin learning one of these languages. I am still in the process of moving information from the old site to this new one, so it is still "under construction." So far I have pages for Alabama through Quapaw available.
. |
|