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Articles
Web posted Monday, Feb. 23, 2004
SHI Posts Job Announcement in Tlingit
by Dixie Hutchinson, KNBA-FM
The Sealaska Heritage Institute would like to see the Tlingit language used every day. The regional non-profit is backing that initiative by posting a job announcement for a language specialist in Tlingit.
Sociolinguist for the Institute Roy Mitchell says there are a number of Tlingit speakers but finding people who are literate in both Tlingit and English is challenging. Mitchell says part of the message is that there are employment opportunities for people who have those abilities.
He says it was difficult to take a typical bureaucratic job description written in English and translate it into Tlingit...but it made sense...
"We think it’s real important since we want to promote the use of Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian as a modern 21st century language," Mitchell said. "Not just languages of past tradition, but also the future to highlight the fact that yes, this is something that shows up on computers, yes this is something if your fluent in the native language you can even get a job making use of the language. So for us it’s real important as a way of walking our talk." (Audio)
Mitchell says there are two major projects that language specialists with the Institute are working on, including developing curriculum for a partial immersion program for elementary students. That course would involve students in the Tlingit language for half of the school day. Another project is working on curriculum for Tlingit immersion retreats.