Sequoyah created a written language for Cherokee, but it isn’t saving it from the threat of extinction.
It’s been an awful lot of fun having a jin-u-wyne Frontier Partisan trailsman come wandering out of the woods just down the road from me.
Like a couple of kids playing out on the back 40, Craig Rullman and I seem to have developed a fine game: The play and the stakes are the same — go chasing down some faint, brush-choked trail and see who comes back with the most bramble scratches.
Craig has just returned (if he has, in fact, returned) from an adventure into the wild Fenlands of Saxon England. Yes, he read Paul Kingsnorth’s “The Wake” — rather epically, if you ask me — and has taken to communicating on parchment in Kingsnorth’s Shadow Language.
You think I’m kidding? This is what I found awaiting me in the mists of morning two days ago:
I was readen then of the boc all daeg and in the great deorcness of night. Buccmaster of holland it is like no other. Like a cyng of bocs it is to cwellen the others. A boc cnawan what angland was and was macan of angland by the folc of the boc and the esols of ys.
cnawan that tidans are cuman to thu. cnawan it well Cornelius of threows. cnawan it well.
Read his chronicle of his adventure — Beowulf Means Bear — here.
This particular trail, which I have yet to venture down myself, led to discourse on the strange wonders of language — and, for me, a detour onto some rocky and barren ground, where languages go to die…
••••
Some years back, I read a piece in a “progressive” journal whose author’s notion of “making the world a better place” was to encourage her fellow travelers to get over any angst they might feel about dying languages. After all, one language, one world, better communication, better place, right? Now, I recognized immediately that this was intended to be provocative — and it worked. In spades.
I felt a visceral thrill of revulsion that was not far from rage. Something about this felt threatening on a cellular level. It was a completely irrational and profoundly physical reaction — no different at all from the classic fight-or-flight response.
It wasn’t hard to graft a rational argument onto my irrational reaction: If monoculture is a bad thing ecologically, it is a bad thing for the human ecology. Duh. And, the more political argument, with which I was all too familiar: That so-called progressives only value “diversity” when they are on the outside of the power structure. If they are in the driver’s seat, they despise not just dissent, but difference. “We honor diversity as long as everybody thinks, speaks and acts in the correct way.” Believe me, I’ve lived amongst them in a bastion of their power. I know. I watched Peter Matthiessen be savaged by a horde of canting Marxists because he dared to criticize the Sandinistas for their appalling treatment of the Miskito Indians. Only capitalists can be colonialist oppressors dontcha know…
(I realize that many who consider themselves progressives do NOT have this outlook. Not talking about them — but I do think they need to call out those in their “movement” who are, in fact, petty proto-Stalinists).
So… crafting an “argument” was completely beside the point. I HATED this notion of accepting the death of “small” languages, right down to the core of my being, and I hated the author, too.
••••
Which brings us to Cherokee.
The aforementioned Frontier Partisan trailsman sent me a Wall Street Journal piece on the effort to save the Cherokee language from being overwhelmed and lost in the globalized culture of the 21st Century:
As many as half of the world’s 6,000 or more languages could disappear by the end of this century as a result of globalization and the spread of dominant languages such as Chinese, Spanish, English and Arabic, according to the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture, which tracks threatened indigenous languages. It lists Cherokee in North Carolina as “severely endangered.”
And it ain’t just in North Carolina:
“No one under 50 is fluent in Cherokee anymore,” said Roy Boney Jr., manager of the Cherokee Language Program for the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma, where he estimates roughly 3,000 out of about 325,000 Cherokee are fluent. A range of tactics, including Cherokee immersion schools, free language classes for adults, online videos and cellphone apps, haven’t reversed the decline in Cherokee, he said. “We’re at a juncture where if we don’t do something drastically different, it will fade out,” he said.
There’s a rear-guard action being fought by some dedicated non-pros — but success is far from assured.
Gilliam Jackson, 64, a fluent Cherokee, said that when he was younger, ministers preached in Cherokee and choirs sang in the language. He even remembers dreaming in the language—which he no longer does, he said.
Many Cherokee only speak a few words of greeting and perhaps some nouns, such as the names of animals or colors, he said. A few can hold a conversation, but only in the present tense. He thinks the amateurs’ idea of teaching Cherokee is a noble effort, yet he worries it is merely a desperate move.
“It’s definitely, in my opinion, going to be a dead language,” he said.
As far as I’m concerned this is but a symptom of the unraveling so starkly depicted by the Dark Mountain Project. And, dammit, I’m in a fightin’ frame of mind. These globalizing universalizers — left and right — they create a desert and call it “progress.” To hell with that. My sword is drawn. I will not go quietly into the Land of the Bland.
I’d rather go down like Torstein than submit quietly to the creeping march of The Land of the Bland.
deuce says
Another great post, Jim. As someone once said: “Multiculture always becomes monoculture.”
When I was in Ireland and Scotland, I never once heard a conversation in Gaelic. Urdu? Yes. Somali? Yes. One of my favorite memories from the ’02 trip was eating Welsh lamb (highly valued in Europe) and caws pobi (Happy St. David’s Day, y’all!) while listening to 7 or 8 Welshman converse raucously in Cymraeg the next table over. Will such happen in 2102? I doubt it.
The Injun languages here in North America are obviously declining. Wes Studi was raised speaking Tsalagi. Then he volunteered to fight in ‘Nam.
BTW, tomorrow is Rory Gallagher’s 68th b-day. Fair warning.
JimC says
Thanks for the heads-up.
And for standing in the shield-wall.
Paul McNamee says
Keeping languages alive gives us windows on the cultures that generated and created them. Like that old adage (probably apocryphal) that Eskimos have 20 words for snow. It’s their world, they differentiate where we do not. A language dying is a tragedy.
I recall an interview with Winona LaDuke (when she was running for VP on the Green ticket.) The interviewer (maybe Bill Moyers?) asked her about the Melting Pot and weren’t we all suppose to aspire to that.
Her answer was along the lines – “Would you rather have a nice stew with all its individual parts – or a puree?”
Whatever her politics, I couldn’t argue with that imagery of how our great Melting Pot should be working.
THE WAKE – I looked and my library consortium has eight copies – all text editions, no audio. So, I guess I’ll be fording through the shadow English myself soon.
JimC says
Let me know what you make of it.
Craig Rullman says
This is a great post. I’m in the shield wall as well. And it isn’t just languages that are dying off. The Maidu people of NE California, who have only inhabited the area for several thousands of years, can’t even get federally recognized as an actual tribe, with a distinct language and culture, which portends very badly for their future. And this entire discussion fits right in with The Wake, and Buccmasters slow coming round to fight against the frenc.
lane batot says
Harsh. Just HARSH! Trying to git me to compress all I havta say on this subject to a blog comment! Or several blog comments, as it must be. Well, I’ll TRY…….Compared to many Native American languages, Cherokee is actually doing a bit better than most–after the Navajo, I think Cherokee descended folks are the most numerous of the Native Americans surviving. NOT that they are learning the original language, so much, but the opportunities are available, here and there. I think it is still offered on the reservation school system in Western North Carolina. I took it as a college course at Western Carolina University(more on THAT in a bit) back when I was incarcerated there(as a last ditch effort of my parents to civilize me. It failed–I actually came out more unreconstructed than when I went in. I can thank the surrounding Appalachian ridges for THAT! And a full on guerrilla war with the CROOKED campus bluecoats(security police)–remember my comment earlier about wearing paint and feathers during raids being useful? It relates A LOT to this war….to be continued….
lane batot says
….When the opportunity to take a Cherokee language course arose at the college I was imprisoned in, I JUMPED at it! Only got to take a coupla years worth before it got canceled due to lack of funding(even though the college football team got all new equipment that year, no problem!). And two years only barely got me started–it is a VERY complex language, not unlike Oriental languages–the SLIGHTEST different inflection or vowel length can totally change the meaning–one glaring example is the word “ama” for “salt”. Then there is “aama”–which is actually spelled the same, but the first “a” is just drawn out a bit–that’s “water”! And by spelling, I mean phonetically. The Syllabary Sequoyah invented is a whole ‘nuther kettle of fish I STILL remember my first learned conversation in Cherokee(lo, these 30 some odd years later!), because, mainly, my Cherokee professor, Robert Bushyhead, was just that damn good a teacher–the BEST teacher I ever had, Kindergarten-through College! His EXAMPLE in TEACHING was the BESTthing I learned in that class!(more on HIM in a bit)…..
JimC says
Lane, you are a pure wonder and I am so glad you frequent these prts.
lane batot says
…..My Cherokee Prof Robert Bushyhead was WHIPPED for speaking Cherokee as a kid by missionaries on the North Carolina reservation–he said he and other Cherokee kids would sneak off to sit around “talking Cherokee” like other kids snuck off to smoke cigarettes! And then he grew up to teach the Unegas(whites) his language in college! Now THAT’S a sweet revenge! He was the most incredibly PATIENT, KINDLY teacher I ever had–he NEVER got irked no matter how bad we flubbed his language! No matter HOW MUCH we had to repeat stuff, he never minded. If someone got a bit behind, he would concentrate on THAT individual until they were caught up with everyone else, and he was never satisfied until we ALL got “A’s”. Whenever I’ve had to teach something, I always keep his example in my mind. He OFTEN told stories to get us to remember something–sometimes the whole class was one tale after another! Not only entertaining, but a SUPERIOR way to remember things! I also had to take lots of French throughout college–FLUNKED most of the classes outright! Haughty, impatient, rude, and humiliating was the methods of most of those French teachers(an exception or two, perhaps). A funny story regarding the meeting of one of the biggest French Prof snobs and my Cherokee Prof….to be continued…..
deuce says
Good news from the Welsh/Cymraeg front:
http://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2016/mar/01/welsh-language-literature-tells-a-local-but-universal-story
lane batot says
……seems we had a “Foreign Language Seminar” the last semester I had a Cherokee course, and we got invited to it(though that was technically incorrect–Mister Bushyhead told us once on job applications and other such things that asked one to list “foreign languages fluent in”,he always put “ENGLISH!”). The usual singing/conversations, dissertations in Spanish, French, German, etc. We were on last(it was a BIG DEAL–large auditorium PACKED with folks!), and we went through various conversations, etc. we had learned. There was a question/answer session afterwards, and one of the French Profs(the snobbiest, snootiest one in residence, who most definitely DID NOT think much of moi!) got up and asked Prof Bushyhead something like this–“I’m VERY impressed. I had one of your students(referring to ME, of course!) in my class who didn’t do well at all(I flunked his course outright!), and yet Cherokee is obviously a much more complicated language to learn; I wonder how you might explain THAT!” Which got chuckles from the audience. I mean, the rude, humiliating NERVE of the guy! But I had FINALLY finished all my !@#$%^&*()((*&^%$#@! French classes, so I had no qualms blurting out(and I meant it heartfelt, too!) “Professor Bushyhead is a HELLUVA better TEACHER than you!” Brought the house down!!(many in attendance had suffered under this Prof’s arrogance themselves). Needless to say, the French Prof promptly sat down without further comment, red as a beet to boot! Ahhhh, sweet revenge! But he REALLY asked for that!
lane batot says
…..And now for some Cherokee language FUN! And trivia……Anybody know what the inventor of the Cherokee syllabary’s name means? “Sequoyah” is a corruption of (I might slightly misspell some of these phonetics, keep in mind–it’s been awhile since I pulled out and dusted off mah Tsalagi!) “sikwa uwoyi”, which literally translated, means “pig’s foot”(or hoof). Seems Sequoyah(also called George Guest) had either a war related or hunting injury that crippled on of his legs and foot, so that when he walked, he left an odd track that resembled a pig’s hoofprint! It was a term of ridicule–his efforts to make his people literate overnight was NOT well embraced at first. Sequoyah’s wife used to burn his accumulated notes(the “talking leaves” he was trying to establish) at every opportunity, afraid her husband would be accused of witchcraft. Sequoyah persisted, not able physically to do much else due to his crippled condition, and at last succeeded in creating a useable syllabary/alphabet, that made the Cherokee LITERATE overnight! So next time you hear the term “Sequoyah” used to name those magnificent redwood trees in his honor, just remember it means “pig’s hoof”!……
lane batot says
…..then there’s the famous Cherokee chief “Junaluska”–he’s the old fellow that, upon being forced to walk the Trail Of Tears to the other side of the Mississippi in his dotage, decided he wanted to go back to his beloved home in the Appalachians, regardless of Unega(whiteman) rules and treaties, and he turned around and WALKED BACK! And lived the rest of his life out in the North Carolina mountains he so loved(thanks to some kind and tolerant white settlers.) Anyway, a whole valley and lake are named after him–quite the resort area now. So what does “Junaluska” mean? Again, a corruption of “Akinu lvhvnska”(“V” being pronounced like a short “u” in English), which means, literally “He who tried but FAILED!” Seems as a young war chief, Junaluska had led a war party against the Creeks, and got his arse whipped! Hence the derogatory name given him! But few people visiting the vacationland of Junaluska valley know that!…..
lane batot says
…..and then there’s the valley named “Cullowhee”, where the campus of Western Carolina University is located. On the college brochures sent out, they state that “Cullowhee” is a Cherokee word meaning “Valley Of The Lillies”. How beautiful, right? Nope, not really! A corruption(again) of a longer term indicating buzzards(vultures) circling, as over something DEAD–as Cullowhee was originally a Cherokee burial spot! But you wouldn’t want to advertise it like THAT, would you?!!!
Wayne says
The excellent 2014 film, First Language: The Race to Save Cherokee, was recently shown at Appalachian State University. Here’s the website for a preview: http://diversity.appstate.edu/events/id/247
In a similar sense, I’m sure we all bemoan the passing of regional accents and idioms. I’ve known college students who’d never heard “boy howdy” “I reckon” or a dozen other colloquial phrasings in their suburban upbringings. It’s painful to watch the ancient, brilliant color of language drain from human culture to be replaced by the uniform gray of technology and globalization.
JimC says
Thanks for the link — and very well said.
lane batot says
Yeah, I’d like to see that film! I’m sure Robert Bushyhead would be proud. Perhaps his spirit is guiding some of this effort to preserve the Cherokee language. Did I mention he was also a Baptist preacher and helped run the Outdoor Drama in Cherokee “Unto These Hills”, where he played the part of Elias Boudinot for many years? And, interesting coincidence(?), he was a traveling circuit preacher back during the Depression, and preached at my maw’s church outside Cedartown in North Georgia, lo, those many years ago. When I mentioned his name as my Cherokee Professor in college, my Maw got very excited, and remembered him distinctly(well, with a surname like “Bushyhead”, kinda hard to forget!) I asked Mister Bushyhead about those days, and he remembered them quite well himself!…..and Wayne–yes, sad to lose all the interesting colloquial sayings. Like my great grandma Murdock in North Georgia(Scotch-Irish-Cherokee stock) used to quip regularly whenever surprised about something– “Shit-Fire-And-Save-Matches!”
lane batot says
…..I ain’t quite done with this yet(I TOLE you it was HARSH!). Yeah, we can certainly git by without all these “obscure” languages/cultures, just like we can survive despite there being no Passenger Pigeons or Tasmanian Wolves(thylacines) left. But the world is the poorer for it. When we lose a language, we lose a unique, often beautiful perspective of things. I remember when the book “Hanta Yo” was first coming out(well, we WERE discussing the Lakota “War And Peace” “Hanta Yo” on an earlier post! And Jim, I was mistaken about it being 900 pages–it’s over 1,000!), there was an article about it in one of those whiteman news magazines–Newsweek? Time? Some such. Anyway, they were discussing the difficulty of translating things and trying to keep the beauty and spirit of the language, and they used the term “snowing” as an example. Simple enough weather description in English, right? But one of the terms for “snowing” in Lakota was “wahinhan”, which translates something like “Softly, as the owl flies”. I’ve always remembered that, and never considered it to ever just be “snowing” again!
Saddle Tramp says
I always by-pass Phoenix going back and forth to and from El Paso. I go through Gila Bend and through the heart of the land of the Sagauro Cactus… I always tune in to the Native American broadcast when passing through. Calls come in from the Zuni Tribe, The Diné and so forth. The broadcast on Monday mentioned the importance of keeping the languages of Native Americans alive. The direct connection and conotations of tradition that is so important. I can only lock into this station for a little more than an hour before I lose the signal. Always profound even with matters as sad as the government ” package ” they receive that is now starting to include bison and native produce replacing the gold brick as they call the government cheese blocks. They are fighting back from the edge of genocide and warn again of their prophecies that are congruent with modern science’s predictions. From shirt sleeve to shirt sleeve generations are at risk of losing their past. The loss of language is the loss of connection. I say as the Native Americans go so go the rest of us. The Great Spirit watches all…
I drive on…
http://www.nativeamericacalling.com/tuesday-march-1-2016-march-native-in-the-spotlight-sylvia-mcadam-saysewahum/
JimC says
Great stuff ST.
Saddle Tramp says
Oops!
That would be connotations and I might add now incantations! All varities welcome to pull us back from the edge of extinction ( or mutation )…