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Claiming space: An autoethnographic study of Indigenous graduate students engaged in language reclamation
This article explores the critical role of an emerging generation of Indigenous scholars and activists in ensuring the continuity of their endangered heritage languages. Using collaborative autoethnography as a research method, the authors present personal accounts of their pursuit of language reclamation through graduate degree programs. These accounts speak to…
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Family at the heart of Chickasaw language reclamation
The Chickasaw Nation faces rapid and unprecedented decline of its language, Chikashshanompa’. As a result, community members are growing increasingly aware of the importance of the language to identity and culture, and language reclamation has emerged as a dynamic project requiring commitment from all generations. This article argues that despite…
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Rosetta Stone Chickasaw Level 1
Rosetta Stone Chickasaw is a partnership between the Chickasaw Nation and Rosetta Stone. Level 1 features forty immersive and interactive lessons. Each lesson has video, vocabulary cards, audio examples, and assessments to support beginning language learners. I was part of a team of linguists, educators, and language speakers who helped…
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Chikashshanompa’ ilanompola’chi [We will speak Chickasaw]: The significance of Chickasaw language decline and revitalization
December 30, 2013, marked a monumental loss for the Chickasaw Nation as it mourned the passing of its last monolingual speaker. Born in the 1920s, this valued elder surely witnessed unprecedented and relentless change within her community as mainstream American values were increasingly imposed on and even embraced by other…
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Pomanompa’ kilanompolika̲ chokma (It is good that we speak our language): Motivations to revitalize Chikashshanompa’ (Chickasaw language) across generations
Currently, the Chickasaw Nation is working toward the revitalization of its language—Chikashshanompa’—which is classified as a severely endangered Indigenous language. Successful language revitalization requires the dedication of all generations within a community. As such, it is important to understand what motivates different generations of Chickasaw citizens who are currently teaching…