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American Languages Nearly Extinct

Hundreds of tongues are down to their last few speakers

By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff

Posted Dec 2, 2007 1:44 PM CST
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(Newser) – Johnny Hill Jr., a 53-year-old Arizonan, talks to himself in Chemehuevi, a language once spoken by many Southwestern Native Americans. He does that because there's rarely anyone for him to speak Chemehuevi with; Hill tried to teach the language to his stepson without success. There is every chance that the tongue will die with him, Smithsonian magazine writes, in a feature on Native American languages at risk of extinction.

The Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages estimates that almost none of the 200 surviving Native American languages remain viable,The institute is trying to reverse the effects colonization had on native languages and rescue what it can, but it may be too late for many. "All the elders are dying off," Hill says. "There may be about 30 true Chemehuevi left."

A Cherokee lesson is given. Cherokee and Navajo are two of the healthiest surviving Native American language, with tens of thousands of speakers each. It helps that Cherokee is one of the few with a written component.
A Cherokee lesson is given. Cherokee and Navajo are two of the healthiest surviving Native American language, with tens of thousands of speakers each. It helps that Cherokee is one of the few with a written...   (KRT Photos)
A Chemehuevi boy is photographed in Arizona, circa 1907.
A Chemehuevi boy is photographed in Arizona, circa 1907.   (Library of Congress Archive)
This United States map show the original regions where the Chemehuevi were concentrated, as well as an insert outlining their present reservation.
This United States map show the original regions where the Chemehuevi were concentrated, as well as an insert outlining their present reservation.   (Wikimedia Commons)
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Chemehuevi words and definitions
http://linguistics.byu.edu

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language • anthropology • Native American • Chemehuevi

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