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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 2017)
;MX\MUJMZ-);<-:67:-/768):-6< Young Pendleton students learn to speak Umatilla By JENNIFER COLTON “This is a great me for them to about the language and culture. It’s In the hallways of the Pendle- incorporate new language,” PELC been a wonderful program.” ton Early Learning Center (PELC), Principal Lori Hale notes. “They’re During the school year, the kin- it’s not uncommon to hear 5- and li le sponges at this age, and we dergarteners make coloring books 6-year-olds speaking words and just want them exposed to that with Uma lla vocabulary, and phrases of the Uma lla language, language and to have an awareness pods learn songs in the Uma lla one of three dialects of the Con- of what’s around them,” language that they perform at the federated Tribes of the Uma lla Indian Reserva on (CTUIR). At PELC, students take a “Walk to Language” every week, learn- ing words and phrases in tribal languages from the CTUIR. Ma Yoshioka, Director of Curriculum, Instruc on and Assessment for the Pendleton School District, says they started the kindergarten Uma lla language program when the early learning center opened two years ago. “We do have a large Na- ve American popula on in our school district because our district takes in the Confeder- ated Tribes of the Uma lla Indian All of the signage at Washington Elementary is now displayed in English, Braile, the Uma lla EO photo by E.J. Harris Reserva on. Having this language language, and Weyiiletpuu. program is a way for us to show that our partnership is strong with Keeping with that theme, the winter concerts. the tribe, with the reserva on,” kindergarten lessons go past simple Both Yoshioka and Hale agree he says. “We hope to help our language. Hale said teachers de- the PELC program has been a suc- students who are Na ve American velop units that align with what the cess, and they’d like to expand to know that it’s their school, that classes are studying, from social other schools – if they could. Yosh- their culture and history is here.” studies to science, and then work ioka said fi nding volunteers from The demographics fl uctuate, but in the Uma lla language lessons. the small number of na ve speak- between 15 and 20 percent of the Teachers also develop lessons ers is the primary issue holding it students at PELC have a tribal back- around a piece of na ve culture – back. To host the program at PELC, ground. Across the whole Pendle- studying salmon, for example, and Mildred Quaempts, the director of ton School District, it’s between 13 how it relates to the Columbia River the language program for CTUIR, and 20 percent, depending on the and na ve cultures. travels to the school four days a year. “The fi rst couple weeks of the week, working with one of PELC’s Introducing kindergarteners year, they’re teaching the kids teachers to facilitate the Walk to – PELC only houses pre-school gree ngs in the Uma lla language, Language lessons in all of center’s and kindergarten classrooms – to then they work on colors, then they 10 kindergarten classrooms, and language takes advantage of a me work on animal names,” Hale says. to expand to other schools would when young children easily absorb “They’ve focused on cultural dress require more master speakers. new vocabulary. and food, just teaching the kids “We would love to expand,” Education Yoshioka said. “There are lots of studies that show language lessons taught to children can improve not only language learning but accep- tance of those around them. The kids just love it, they absolutely eat it up, and this is so much more than just language.” In the past, the district has of- fered a Na ve American language a erschool class at Washington Elementary, a school that has sig- nage in both English and in Uma lla throughout the building. Although speakers of Uma lla and Walla Walla languages remain, the dis nc ve dialect of the Cay- use people has been lost, and the Cayuse people now use the Weyíi- letpuu dialect of the Nez Perce language as their own. To promote and protect the remaining lan- guages, the CTUIR runs a language program to work toward document- ing, preserving, revitalizing the Uma lla, Walla Walla, and Weyíilet- puu languages. The CTUIR Language Program off ers immersion classes for pre- school children, age 3 to 5, at the Nixyaawii Community School, as well as community classes with fl uent speakers. You can learn more about the CTUIR Language Program online at ctuir.org/departmentpro- gram/language-program. ________ Jennifer Colton is news director of KOHU and KQFM, and mother of three, based in Pendleton.
