Resources for Endangered Languages

Methods for revitalizing languages

• Native Languages Revitalization Resource Directory from IPOLA


• Teaching Indigenous Languages focuses on "the linguistic, educational, social, and political issues related to the survival of the endangered indigenous languages of the world." The article " Some Basics of Indigenous Language Revitalization" is a good introduction. See also "Maintaining and Renewing Native Languages."


• Turtle Island Native Network Spotlight on Language - news articles on native languages.


• Issues in U.S. Language Policy: Endangered Languages
  
  
• Native American language renewal resource guide from Tribal College Journal
  
  
• The International Clearing House for Endangered Languages contains United Nations Redbook on Endangered Languages


• Aboriginal Language Planning: A Guide for Community Activists. Focuses on Canada and BC, but has much information relevant to all endangered languages." For many years, parents and educators were told that education in an Aboriginal language would be detrimental to children's social and intellectual development, and that it would 'hold them back.' As linguists and specialists in bilingual or multilingual education now know, the opposite is the case."
  
  
• Bibliography of Materials on Language Maintenance from the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council
  
  
• The Native American Languages Act of 1990 declares it a federal policy to "preserve, protect, and promote the rights and freedom of Native Americans to use, practice, and develop Native American languages", and provides about $2 million per year in funding.
  
  

Online Books

The following links to the complete text of the books:

• Stabilizing Indigenous Languages includes descriptions of successful native language programs and papers by leaders in the field of indigenous language study."
  
  
• Revitalizing Indigenous Languages discusses "opportunities and obstacles faced by language revitalization efforts, programs and models for promoting indigenous languages, the role of writing in indigenous language renewal, and how new technology is being used to compile indigenous language dictionaries, publish indigenous language materials, and link together dispersed language communities."
  
  
• Teaching Indigenous Languages presents "experiences and thoughts of indigenous language activists who are working in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and Mexico."
  
  
• Effective Language Education Practices & Native Language Survival "contains descriptions of promising Native language programs going on today in New Zealand, Canada, the United States."

Financial Assistance

• The Indigenous Language Institute "collaborates with indigenous communities to revitalize and perpetuate the languages and culture of the original inhabitants of the Americas."


• The Foundation for Endangered Languages "awards grants to projects that support the use of endangered languages in all contexts."


• Endangered Language Fund "supports with small grants efforts by Native communities or scholars to do endangered language related work".
  
  
• List of funding sources from IPOLA
  
  

Other organizations

• Intertribal Wordpath Society - promoting Oklahoma Indian languages.
  
  
• Terralingua works to preserve the future of the world's biological, cultural, and linguistic diversity.
  

Discussion groups

Endangered-Languages-L Forum "provides a world-wide communications vehicle and a central electronic archive for anyone working on or interested in the study and documentation of endangered languages." Includes archives.

Information on the Languages

• Native American Language Resources has pointers to many useful resources on the languages themselves.


• Living Languages of the Americas: United states and Canada from the Summer Institute of Linguistics reports estimated number of speakers.
  
• Index of Native American Language Resources on the Internet from WWW Virtual Library - American Indians
  
  
• Buffalo Trails has teaching materials for individual languages.
  
  

Miscellaneous

• Finding ways to preserve California's Indian languages

Petroglyph of the Fremont Culture.