2 DECEMBER 15, 2002
Smoke Signals
DECEMBER 15, 2002
Smoke Signals 3
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Signs, Signs, Everywhere Signs - Labels and signs are everywhere in the Chinuk class. This helps the
children to connect the teaching with the world around them. The teachers are continually challenged with
coming up with new words to describe modern day items.
Continued from front page
Chinuk Wawa is blend of several Native lan
guages that emerged as a trade language. Its
root comes from the Columbia River Chinook
Tribe, with words from the Salish and Nootka
Tribes added in. It also includes many words
from English and French.
It was pidgin dialect, a simplified language
used to communicate between Tribes.
It has evolved into a fully functioning lan
guage what linguists call a Creole language.
After the children put away their toys, they
gather in a circle on the floor and Johnson brings
out a hand drum. He and Whisler lead them in
stick game song. It's their favorite; they know
all the words, and they all sing along.
"The stage they're in is what linguists call 'for
mulaic expression" said Johnson. "They under
stand what the phrases mean, if not the indi
vidual words."
After singing, Johnson puts his hands on his
ears and says "Qwalan," the Chinuk word for
ears. The kids imitate the motions and say the
words for mouth, eyes and so on.
Then it's time for counting. The children eas-
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Reading Is The Key -
Tribal youth Chelsea Croy
reads from a book in the
class library. The book
replaces the English
words with Chinuk
versions.
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"I think it will be a source of pride for my child. He enjoys
it and looks forward to going to class in the morning. I
think the class is a wonderful idea and I hope they continue.
I think that the Elders would be happy to see the children
learning to speak."
Susan Reyes
Tribal member
ily count along in Chinuk up to 10, holding their
little fingers in the air.
"We're really just getting started, but the kids
have already developed a good passive under
standing," said Johnson. "They're also very
good at counting, grammar and colors."
The Grand Ronde program is modeled after
other successful Native immersion efforts.
The Hawaiians, for example, have an exten
sive immersion system that starts with toddlers
and extends to adults. Web sites and television
broadcasts in Hawaiian connect the language
to technology.
Bilingualism not only saves Native languages,
but also benefits the children.
"There's plenty of research that supports the
benefits of raising a child to be bilingual," said
Janne Underriner, a Northwest Indian Lan
guage Specialist at the University of Oregon.
"They also have higher analytical scores and
do better in the language arts. So there's an
excellent argument for raising bilingual kids."
Zenk, a longtime Chinuk language preserva
tionist, joins the children in class. He speaks
fluent Chinuk, helping to expose the young ears
to the rhythms of the language.
Success for the children depends on hearing
the language throughout the day. Criteria for
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You Said A Mouthful "Munk tush mayka lita" make good your teeth! Sammy Johnson (front), Goldie Bly and Shayla Ulestad brush their
teeth after breakfast. Even little chores like brushing teeth are discussed in Chinuk only.
enrollment is for a parent or close family mem
ber also take Chinuk classes. They must speak
with the child in Chinuk at least 15 minutes
daily.
"I think it will be a source of pride for my child,"
said Tribal member Susan Reyes, whose 4-year
old son Michael is in the class. "He enjoys it
and looks forward to going to class in the morn
ing. I think the class is a wonderful idea and I
hope they continue. I think that the Elders
would be happy to see the children learning to
speak."
The children's Chinuk isn't the same as their
Elders learned. Rather than bringing more En
glish words into the language, linguists will coin
new words in Chinuk. For example, "TwaX-XuN
XuN," the word for computer, means, "shimmer-
Continued on next page
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Amber Grodio laughs with Sammy Johnson.
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Through These Eyes - Bright eyes and a willingness to learn are the traits of i
involved in the Tribe's Language Immersion class. Here, Logan Bobb, Trent Findley and
Reyes are classic examples of the innocence of youth and their willingness to learn.
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Circle Time Language specialist Tony Johnson, with fellow teachers Toni Lockwood and Henry Zenk, plays a hand drum and teaches the kids to sing in Chinuk. Once
a week, all the kids from the preschool come over and participate in the Chinuk class with the Immersion kids.