|
|
Copyright © 2003 Send Comments to: |
|
| About Us | | | Programs | | | Publications | | | Collections | | | Celebration | | | News | | | Shop | | | Contact Us |
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Articles
Immersion retreat helps students learn Tlingit language
06/22/04
Vanessa Orr
A century ago, it would not have seemed strange to hear Native Alaskans speaking in Tlingit as they went about their daily chores. Now an endangered language, it is rarely spoken by anyone other than elders, or those who have chosen to study and learn this unique mode of communication.
In an effort to revitalize the fading language, Sealaska Heritage Foundation has created Tlingit Immersion Retreats. These retreats allow participants to spend 10 days in a Tlingit-speaking village learning the language, immersing themselves in the culture, and practicing their communication skills with other Tlingit speakers.
"The program gives both speakers and learners a habitat where Tlingit can flourish," explained Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) President Rosita Worl. "The immersion approach appears to accelerate the rate at which learners acquire the Tlingit language."
In 2002, the first Tlingit Immersion Retreat was held north of Juneau, and lasted for five days. "I'd actually been holding on to the idea since 1985, when I went to a conference and heard a Maori man present a paper on language immersion retreats in New Zealand, " explained Roy Mitchell, a sociolinguist with the Sealaska Heritage Institute. "I was very interested in the idea of recreating a community where the language was spoken on a daily basis--even if it was just for a couple of weeks."
This year's Immersion retreats will be held in Sitka from June 19-30, and in Hoonah from August 9-19. Previous retreats were held in Sitka, Juneau and Glacier Bay. "Our main goals with the retreats are to provide language learners the opportunity to learn Tlingit in a natural setting, and to recreate what it was like to live in a Tlingit-speaking community," said Mitchell. "We also want to provide fluent Tlingit speakers, like elders, the chance to 'tune up' their skills, since they no longer live in a situation where they get to speak Tlingit every day."
"We're hoping that this model of teaching through immersion will be both useful and inspirational to Native communities throughout Southeast," he added. "We hope that other groups, like spirit camps and culture camps, see that this is one of the most effective ways of integrating language and culture in a camp setting."
Hans Chester, who has attended three immersion retreats, said that he appreciated the opportunity to grow as a Tlingit speaker. "I'd been studying the language for five or six years and knew the vocabulary, but being with fluent speakers on a constant basis greatly improved my own speaking ability," he said. "Growing up in Juneau, I wasn't as involved in the language as some people living in more rural communities might be; it wasn't a part of my daily life. It was a treat to be able to gain so much knowledge from the elders."
Linda Belarde, curriculum specialist at Sealaska Heritage Foundation, also enjoyed the Glacier Bay immersion retreat, but found it hard to adjust to her new conditions. "It was a real challenge, and really frustrating," she said. "I am a beginning learner, so it was good to get to hear everyone speaking the language. But when I tried to communicate, I was so awful, it was frustrating. I listened and practiced, though, and it made me decide that I wanted to keep learning."
In addition to speaking the language, participants at the retreat learn more about Tlingit culture. Daily activities include gathering and processing Native food, while fluent speakers use Tlingit to give directions on what to do. During the 2003 retreat, camp member subsisted on halibut, salmon, gumboots, deer, beach asparagus, seaweed and wild celery, and also celebrated their culture through singing, dancing and drumming.
"A big part of the teaching method is situating students in real-life activities and communications," said Mitchell. "They are not memorizing words off of a chalkboard; they are sharing kitchen chore duties while elders supervise and offer instruction. Many of the lessons also take place outside; we take field trips by boat, and take hikes through the woods where the elders identify the names of plants and how they are traditionally used."
According to Mitchell, there will be 20 people attending the Sitka retreat, and there is room for 30 to go to Hoonah. Priority is given to applicants of Tlingit descent who have geneological ties to the clans who live in the areas where the retreats are held.
"While this is our primary audience, we also accept others of Tlingit descent, Sealaska shareholders and descendents of shareholders who are learning the Tlingit language, as space is available," he said. There is no cost to those attending, thanks to donations from local Native and nonprofit organizations who help to subsidize the program, as well as a federal grant from the Administration for Native Americans, which helps to fund two immersion retreats a year.
Chester, who works as a projects assistant at SHI, says that even when the immersion retreat is over, the sharing of the language does not end. "I still use the language everyday," he said, "though once you come back to civilization, it's harder to do. I still find myself thinking in Tlingit, even when I'm speaking in English."
"I definitely use the language more now; in fact, when I got back from the retreat, I signed up for Tlingit language classes at college, even though the semester had already started," said Belarde. "I call my aunt frequently and we talk in Tlingit, though once she starts rattling on, I can only grasp at the words I understand. But I have tried to use it more; now when people around me are speaking Tlingit, I'm not daydreaming--I'm paying attention."
Mitchell adds that three former immersion students have started as student teachers at Dzantik'i Heeni Middle School, where they are helping to educate other about the Tlingit language. "We're really happy about that," he said. "They're not only learning the language, but are taking responsibility for using it and teaching it."
As more and more people rediscover the Tlingit language, they may also discover that this ability to converse may lead to creating stronger bonds within the Native community. "I will always take with me the connection I made with the other speakers; the memories of all of the fun things we did together and the conversations we had," said Chester.
"I will remember the laughter," added Belarde. "We laughed about all kinds of things. And whether we were doing poorly speaking the language or doing well, we felt like we were all in it together. And that was really nice."
Ed. Note: For more information about the Tlingit Language Immersion Retreats, call 463-4844 or visit www.sealaska.org.