Education

Language Families

North American indigenous language families are VERY diverse!

Muskogean language families

Muskogean Language Family

Family trees: Demonstrate “genetic” relationships. A single tree for each language family Example: Muskogean

The Haas (1941) Model of Muskogean Diversification, with Chronology from Broadwell (1992)

Mvskoke Punvkv

  • The sentence structure is Subject, Object, Verb.
  • Affixes are commonly used in the verb, to introduce subject and object pronouns, tense, aspect, commands, location, negatives…
  • Possession – inalienable and transferable
Aa
short a (ah)		Cc
chee		Ee
short e		Ee
long e (ee)		Ff
fee
Hh
hee		Ii
long a (ay)		Kk
gee/k		Ll
lee		Mm
mee
Nn
nee		Oo
o/oi		Pp
bee/p		Rr
thlee		Ss
see
Tt
tee		Uu
oo		Vv
uh		Ww
wee		Yy
yee

VOWELS IN RED

CONSONANTS IN BLACK

Person (of subject)

Lētketv = to run.

  • Lētkis. = I am running.
  • Lētketskes. = You are running.
  • Lētkes. = He/She is running.

Person (of direct or indirect object)

That is accomplished with prefixes.
Hēcetv = to see.

  • Cehēcis = I see you.
  • Cvhēcetskes. = You see me.
  • Hvtvm Cehēcares. = I will see you again.

Tense

  • Pohis. = I am hearing. (present)
  • Pohhis. = I just heard. (first or immediate past; within a day ago)
  • Pohvhanis. = I am going to hear. (future)
  • Pohares. = I will hear. (future)
  • Pohiyvnks. = I heard recently. (second or middle past, within a week ago)
  • Pohimvts. = I heard. (third or distant past, within a year ago)
  • Pohicatēs. = Long ago I heard. (fourth or remote past, beyond a year ago)

There are several more tenses.

Questions

Hompetv = to eat.

  • Hompetskv? = Are you eating? (expecting a yes or no answer)

Nake = what.

  • Naken hompetskv? = What are you eating? (expecting a long answer)

Locative Prefixes

Prefixes are also used in Muscogee for shades of meaning of verbs that are expressed, in English, by adverbs in phrasal verbs. For example, in English, the verb to go can be changed to: to go up, to go in, to go around, and other variations. 

Vyetv = to go (singular subjects only, see above); 

  • vyes = I am going; 
  • ak-vyes = I am going (in water / in a low place / under something); 
  • tak-vyes = I am going (on the ground); 
  • oh-vyes = I am going (on top of something).

Nouns in fixed relationships (inalienable possession)

A body part or family member cannot be discussed in Muscogee without mentioning the possessor; it is an integrated part of the word. A set of changeable prefixes serves that function:

Erkē = Father

  • enerkē = his/her father;
  • cvrkē = my father;
  • cerkē = your father;
  • purkē = our father.

Transferrable nouns (alienable possession)

All other nouns are possessed through separate set of prepositions. This identifies the nature of the relationship between the possessor and the object.

Efv = dog;

  • em efv = his/her dog;
  • vm efv = my dog;
  • cem efv = your dog;
  • pum efv = our dog.

Mvskoke Punvkv Documents

  • The first Creek book was published in 1834 titled Mvskoke Emvnicv/ Muscogee Assistant.
  • National Creek Alphabet was adopted in 1853.
  • William S. Robertson and David Winslett  in 1870 published Nakcokv Es Kerretv Enhvteceskv. Muskokee or Creek First Reader. Fourth edition. [This version from the 1963 reprint by B. Frank Belvin.] New York: 
  • Ann Eliza Worcester Robertson (wife of William S. Robertson) began missionary work among the Creeks in 1850. She was responsible for translating much of the New Testament into Creek.
  • The first Creek Dictionary was published in 1890.
  • The Creek author Earnest Gouge wrote 29 stories for John Swanton in 1915. 

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO):
Degree of Language Endangerment

Degree of EndangermentIntergenerational Language Transmission
SafeLanguage is spoken by all generations; intergenerational transmission is uninterrupted.
VulnerableMost children speak the language, but it may be restricted to certain domains (e.g., home).
Definitely EndangeredChildren no longer learn the language as mother tongue in the home.
Severely EndangeredLanguage is spoken by grandparents and older generations; while the parent generation may understand it, they do not speak it to children or among themselves.
Critically EndangeredThe youngest speakers are grandparents and older, and they speak the language partially and infrequently.
ExtinctThere are no speakers left. 

The Fight: Linguistic Foes

Mvskoke wasn’t just simply not spoken anymore, there was a concerted effort of US officials to assimilate Native American people by eradicating Native American languages

“[T]heir barbarous dialects should be blotted out and the English language substituted. […] The object of greatest solicitude should be to break down the prejudices of tribe among the Indians; to blot out the boundary lines which divide them into distinct nations, and fuse them into one homogeneous mass. Uniformity of language will do this–nothing else will.” (Taylor et al., 1868, p. 504).

Richard Henry Pratt, Founder & Superintendent, Carlisle Indian Industrial School is quoted as saying, “Kill the Indian in him, and save the man.”

The Fight: Language Preservation, Perpetuation, and Revitalization

Why is it important?

  • Mvskoke Etvlwv
    • Important part of our cultural heritage
    • Connection to a Mvskoke worldview
    • Differentiates us from others tribes
    • Personal/family connections
  • Non-Mvskokes
    • Natives: Knowledge/experience preservation
    • Non-Natives: Human intellectual heritage

How do we preserve, perpetuate, and revitalize the language?

  • Philosophy: Communicative competence through the linguistic expertise 
  • Conditions:
    • Top-down support
    • Bottom-up interest
    • Utilize as many resources as possible: funding, fluent speakers, teachers, schools, communities, children, youth, adults, and elders.

What are methods to learning the language?

  • Visit with fluent speakers and elders
  • Activity based education curriculums
  • Collection and examination of available resources and documentation
  • Identify what is known and what is not known of Mvskoke Opunvkv
  • Enhance material through community help
  • Engage children, youth, adults, and elders together as learning community
  • Master/apprentice programs

Teach the language

  • Mvskoke People
    • Elders; engagement through listening
    • Adults; engagement through activity
    • Youth; engagement through empowerment
    • Children; engagement through family fun
  • Interested outsiders
    • Locals
    • Those interested in Native American culture
    • Those interested in learning languages
  • Teach communication, not just knowledge

Share the language

  • Those who can’t/ won’t come to speaking domains or classes
    • Print media (dictionary, reader, books)
    • Audio media (reader, lesson CDs)
    • Computer media (software, social media)
    • Miscellaneous materials
      • Board games 
      • T-shirts

Speak the language

  • Resources alone aren’t enough
  • SOCIAL CHANGE
    • Community involvement (awareness, interest)
    • Speaking venues (opportunities for use)
    • External motivation (expectation for use)
  • PSYCHOLOGICAL CHANGE
    • Internal motivation (desire for use)
  • ETHNOLINGUISTIC IDENTITY
    • Being Mvskoke = Speaking Mvskoke… again!

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