Ten Canoes - Film

The film “Ten Canoes” is getting positive reviews.

The film is shot in Australian languages in addition to English narration and subtitles. One language of the Yolgnu people of the film is Ganalbingu, a dialect of Djinba (djb), and another language used in the film is Mandalpingu or Mandjalpingu, listed as a co-dialect of Djinba in the Ethnologue. At least one more language is spoken in addition to the English narration/subtitles, given as Gunwinggu (gup) on the Wikipedia site for the film, a language from Maningrida. Like Ramingining, the home of the Yolngu, people in Maningrida grow up speaking multiple languages.

A PDF press kit for the film is available from the “Ten Canoes” website, and an educational pack is available for educators as well. To purchase the film, visit Metro Magazine. The base price for the DVD is AUD $35.

Another media source is a short media clip at YouTube of a dhapi’ initiation ceremony for a Djinba boy.

To learn more about Djinba, see Djinang and Djinba: A Grammatical and Historical Perspective by Waters, Bruce E. It appears to be about the only resource on this language.

Creating a Literature

The 2005 National Indigenous Languages (NILS) survey lists language documentation (page 131) including literature as one of its ten indicators of language viability.

As told by Society, the weekly magazine in the Standard, however, when Prof. Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o wrote “Murogi wa Kagogo” (or Kagooko) in Gikuyu (kik) (Kikuyu) to make a stand against linguistic neocolonialism (or perhaps cultural colonialism), scholars scoffed.

His example is important to provide a written record of endangered languages. Another effort geared toward that goal includes Basic Gikuyu classes provided at the African Language Program at Harvard University, which have reading and writing proficiency requirements. The Language Center also offers classes in Nairobi. Additionally, a textbook can be found on ERIC.

wa Thiong’o’s satire is available in both a Gikuyu version (324 pages) and an English version (more than 700). The English link provides interesting reviews at Amazon.com as well. Biographies of wa Thiong’o are available at ICWT and the Contemporary African Database. Additionally, a lamentation of wa Thing’o’s common use of English borrowings is made by Ken Kamoche at Global Beat.

Update to SOAS’ Endangered Languages Week

The entry for SOAS’ Endangered Languages Week has been updated and corrected. Thanks to Peter K. Austin for the timely information.

The Garifuna Collective

Garifuna (cab) is a coastal language in Central America, spoken by around 125,000 people.

Andy Palacio is working with the Garifuna Collective to bring the rhythms and language of this language to the world on his CD Wátina, with distinctive hand drumming and guitar playing. The CD comes complete with lyrics and photographs. See also his Til Da Mawnin’, also reported to be in Garifuna. (Proceeds from sales through these Amazon links will go to support endangered language activities.

A variety of sources exist for this language, descended from the Arawakan family. See Garifuna.com, Garifuna.org, and the Wikipedia entry as well as the Minnesota State University page.

SOAS Endangered Languages Week

The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London is in gear for their series of events for endangered languages week starting Monday. Sponsored by the Hans Rausing Endangered Languages Project within the SOAS Department of Linguistics, the scheduled events will start off with a play “Living On” by well-known linguist David Crystal and Greg Doran of the Royal Shakespeare Society.

Updated schedule

Endangered Language Films: Tuesday has a screening of “In Languages We Live: Voices of the World“, the 2005 film by Janus Billeskov Jansen and Signe Byrge Sørensen as well as what appears to be the premier of the film “Mlabri and Outsiders” about speakers of the language Mlabri (mra) in Thailand by these same two filmmakers. On Thursday is a screening of “Fragments of the Owl’s Egg” a film directed by Kim McKenzie, coming out of the Bidwern project. This film is in Bininj Kun-wok and narrated in English by linguist Murray Garde, a lexicographer of Bininj Kun-wok, a language listed variously as Bininj Kunwok, Kuninjku, and Kundedjnjenghmi; the Ethnologue uses an older name for it, Gunwinggu (gup).

Project Day: Wednesday is open projects day including information on the Dawes Online project (planned for completion later this year) as well as student work.

While exploring the Language Week, also note the Endangered Languages Academic Programme (ELAP) at SOAS, offering master’s and PhD degrees.

To learn more about Bininj Kunwok, refer to Bininj Gun-Wok (Nicolas Evans). Two other references are McKay and Oates.

Iñupiaq/Inupiatun (esi)

Roosevelt Paneak has a glossary of Iñupiaq (esi) words. This language is spoken at the northern extremities of the world, where the word for November means sunset (Nippivik wanes into Siqiñaatchiaq).

This citation is taken from the Tulugaq (”raven” in Iñupiaq) blog by Alaskan (and current Texan) Linda Lanz. Her blog includes an interesting map showing where Iñupiaq is spoken.

Also check out the SIL Iñupiaq online dictionary on the Alaskool site from the 1970 publication Iñupiat Eskimo Dictionary by Donald H. Webster and Wilfried Zibell .

Another good resource for learning Iñupiaq is the website of radio station KNBA, featuring a Native word of the day plus archives!

A special mention goes to The Plants of My People, written by Cheryl Ann Wood/Kylee Bautnuq Punguk, an ethnobotany complete with Native, English and Latin designations and accompanying photographs. This book does not appear to be available for sale.

Language Policy and Aboriginal Languages of Taiwan

It’s somewhat confusing, but according to Monsters and Critics,

“Under the revised Language Development Bill, Taiwan will stop defining Mandarin Chinese, the lingua franca of China, as the ‘national language.’

Instead, it will list Mandarin Chinese, Taiwanese, Hakka and Taiwan’s aboriginal tongues as its national languages, Chiu Chuang-liang, director of the cabinet’s council for Cultural Planning and Development, said.

It seems that Mandarin Chinese is being demoted from _the_ national language to _a_ national language. While such a move doubtlessly has international political ramifications, it also means greater recognition of the local peoples.

The number of languages in Taiwan appears to be dependent on the person counting, with the article citing “about a dozen tribes”, Travel in Taiwan counting nine mountain tribes, and Taiwan Tribes counting 13. The latter, moreover, with its tribal breakdown and count of 21 languages, makes it clear that it is the ethnic complexity causing the disparity in numbers. Wikipedia counts 25 tribes with only 14 living languages. Ethnologue gives 22 living languages including three Chinese varieties, Japanese, and Taiwan Sign Language, plus four extinct languages.

Also, check out the excellent ethnic map of Taiwan provided by Philip Diller.

ELF Managing Native Voices Endowment

The Great Falls Tribune notes on March 11 how grant money from the Native Voices Endowment will assist in efforts to save Mandan (mhq), a critically endangered language in North Dakota, US.

The Native Voices Endowment comes to the National Council of the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial from the sale of a US Mint coin, celebrating that bicentennial. The Endangered Language Fund (ELF) will be managing and distributing the fund. The article says:

Proceeds from sales of a Lewis and Clark commemorative coin and a handmade Indian pouch set bankroll the $1.6 million Endangered Language Fund (ELF).

Using interest off that money, the foundation is offering $2,500 to $25,000 grants, starting later this year.

To learn more about the endowment, read the articles Native Voices Endowment at the ELF website and Native Voices Endowment to Revitalize Indigenous Languages at the Lewis and Clark commemorative website.

To learn more about Mandan, visit the Wikipedia entry. Mandan can also be studied at Fort Berthold Community College. Click on “Course Descriptions” from their academic information page to learn more about classes.