Culturescope.ca - Indigenous Language Codification: Cultural Effects

An important notice to Culturescope.ca users:

Studies & Reports 36 of 49

"In the past, many have argued that a written form of the indigenous language is a necessary component of a successful language revitalization effort. But is this really the case? In this paper I will argue that as indigenous people go about the decision making process, they must first of all be aware of the possible implications that result from how value laden the concept of literacy is. This argument is supported by examining four "communities" that have recently addressed the issue of written indigenous literacy. Particular attention is paid to 1) the history of written indigenous literacy within each community, 2) discussions that occurred around the issue of whether or not to incorporate a written form, and 3) examination of the current functions of indigenous literacy within the community. A final discussion looks at what, if any, changes have occurred in the culture of these communities that can be either directly or indirectly related to the communities' decisions regarding use of a written form of their language. Although there is no way to show a direct cause and effect relation, this paper indicates that cultural change can at least indirectly be tied to written indigenous literacy, especially when the schools and churches exist as the main domain for use."


Creator(s)	Brian Bielenberg
Source Location	International
Publisher	Northern Arizona University
Date Published	1999
Language	English
URL	http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~jar/RIL_8 ...
Copyright Holder	Northern Arizona University
Le texte suivant provient d'un organisme qui n'est pas assujetti à la Loi sur les langues officielles et il est mis à la disposition du public dans la langue d'origine. The following material originates with an organization not subject to the Official Languages Act and is available on this site in the language in which it was written.