2
E d ito ria l S e c tio n
Save O ur D y in g Languages
by Mildred Quaempts
Indian and Alaska Native languages
were usually taught first in the home
because the parents either couldn’t
speak English, or they wanted the
language to live. When this happened,
the language was spoken fluently and
the child became used to it, learning
no other language but his own.
The Indian or Alaskan Native was
placed in a school either close to
home or hundreds of miles away (like
here at Chemawa) so that he could be
educated enough to be competetive in
society, to hold a job and to help his
people.
Years ago students became confused
at Chemawa because of their inability
to become adjusted to the new English
language, after being so used to their
own native tongue. People would try
to help them overcome this problem
by giving them interpreters or by not
letting them speak their native lan
guage in class.
Today the English language is being
used regularly by Indian and Alaskan
students without the problems that
they had a generation ago. This is
usually because the child’s parents
know the language and teach it to him.
But at the same time the use of
native languages is dying out. The
child is often taught only English and
the native language begins to die out.
Alaskans at Chemawa often speak
their native language, but they also
know English well, and it is no prob
lem. Northwest students speak Eng
lish all the time because they either
weren't taught their native language
or they only know a few words, not
enough to carry on a conversation.
Some Northwest Indian leaders,
such as the Yakima linguist Mr. Rudy
Saluskin, are making efforts to revive
some of the almost extinct languages.
As an Indian student, I then ask if
there could be some native Indian
language classes here at Chemawa in
the near future, so that these lan
guages won't go out of existence. It
seems to me that these languages are
dying out and we need teachers to
keep them alive.
The administration is interested in
having either introductory or advanced
courses for those who want to learn
from the beginning or polish what they
already know.
There are four problems that will
have to be met. One is finding teach
ers who know the languages well
enough to teach them. Another pro
blem is what languages will be taught,
out of the hundreds of languages and
dialects in the Northwest and Alaska
alone.
The third question is whether or not
the parents of Chemawa students will
like the idea, and the fourth problem
is where to find the money to begin
the program.
I was brought up speaking my native
language, but I can’t use it here at
school because there is no one else
to speak with who understands it.
This is why we need the language
program, no matter what problems we
might have with it.
R eader
THE CHEMAWA AMERICAN
Member of Oregon Scholastic Press
Published by the joint efforts of the
Business Education Department and
the Journalism class.
Editor:
Feature Editors:
Ronni Wesley
Georgianne Charles
Mildred Ward
Sports Editor:
Harold Yatlin
Reporters:
Nancy Barnes
Echo Big Spring, Daisy Bodfish,
Bobby Dock, Jeff Frank, Mildred
Quaempts, Paul Kotongan, Ron
Smartlowit, Daryl Sullivan.
Artwork:
Mari Sioux McDonald
Typesetting:
Loretta Samuels
Printing:
Graphic Arts classes
Staff Advisors:
Mr. John Dashney
Mrs. Judy Sturgeon
Acting Principal: Mr. Victor LaCourse
Superintendent: Mr. Albert Y. Ouchi
T h e C h e m aw a A m e ric a n w e lc o m e s le tte r s
to th e e d ito r. A ll le t te r s m ust b e s ig n e d .
We w ill p r in t as m any as sp a c e p e rm its ,
but w e r e s e rv e th e rig h t to e d it fo r len gth
and
to
d e le te
any
lib e lo u s
or
obscene
m ateri a l .
O p in io n - 'A b id e b y R u le s
To the Editor:
Many students, including myself,
are proud of this school. These build
ings standing here at Chemawa don’t
make up the school—it is we, the stu
dents. To make it a good school we
should abide by the rules and show
the people that it is a good' school
and they should come and see so for
themselves.
Former students who did not like
Chemawa have spread some bad sto
ries and exaggerations about the
school. I know because before I came
here students told me about it, saying
it was a bad place to go. I thought
about it for awhile and then decided
to see for myself.
When I came here, I soon realized
that drinking was one of the main
problems at Chemawa. If students do
care about the school, themselves and
others, they would try to set a good
example, not only in following rules
but to help others to see and under
stand what effect the education they
are getting now will have on their
lives in the future.
Some say other schools are better
than Chemawa. I see it this way. No
matter what school you get an educa
tion from, you can still get a good job.
This school is no worse than any
other school. It’s just the way the
students handle their subjects.
Here we really aren’t forced to do
our work. We have a choice either to
work hard and pass the subject or
just leave it and fail. Some teachers
at other schools push the students on
through their assignments. Here we
have a great chance to learn to take
care of our own responsibilities. Do
ing so, we will have an easier time
taking care of similar responsibilities
when we are on our own and making
our living.
So I don’t think it’s the school that
is bad. I think it’s just the way the
students put it. If you want a school
to be proud of, try to be a reasonable
person and learn while you have the
chance and make the best of it. I say
this for myself and for others who are
proud of this school.
Anna Melovidov
Class of 1974