Knowledge of Language
Noorvik 8th grade
Beautiful spoken, written expression
Belongs to culture, tradition, tribe and me.
Language is love.
It helps make friends, communicates and excites.
Language needs words, people, a voice, a history
and a tongue.
Language fears lying, scoldings, negative thoughts
and dying.
Language is learning, books, radios, CB’s,
computers and people.
Language is us!
iḷisimaḷiq
uqapiałiġmik
Hannah Paniyavluk Loon
Chukchi News and Information Service
Village English, a common form of
speech in Alaska villages, is a variety of nonstandard English, what
educators call a “local
English.” Here in northwest Alaska, village English is spoken
in most of the communities.
Before Western contact, the people spoke
the Inupiaq language in this region. When the early explorers arrived,
they not only brought
goods
to trade,
but they came with their language as well. The English language
then took hold among the Inupiat.
After contact, the early missionaries
and teachers fanned out in this region. The naluagmiu, or white
man, established schools
and
churches
with whatever materials were available, and in doing so, created
permanent villages. Until then, clans of people had lived spread
throughout the region
at their winter or summer camps.
Unfortunately, when the Inupiat
were taught English in the new schools, they got punished and beaten
for speaking their original
Native
language. As a result the Inupiat learned English with much
difficulty.
Today, English is the predominant language in this region,
yet Inupiat still is spoken by a majority of older people.
It is
rare to hear
a child speak fluent Inupiaq today A few people in their 20s
and 30s speak some
Inupiaq, but mainly English or village English.
Today it is
common to hear people speaking a blend of English and Inupiaq. If they
are not fluent in Iñupiaq, they tend to
mix English
with incomplete
Inupiaq words, or vice versa. In northwest Alaska, people
have gotten used to blending the two languages and have adapted
to speaking village
English.
For instance, in the office environment, I speak
standard English to non-Natives every day, yet I run into situations
where I
have difficulty
explaining
typical Native processes, such as how to make a half-dried
salmon. Also, I can carry on a conversation in Iñupiaq,
especially if
I’m comfortable
talking to a person. Yet, if I were to explain the process
of making a half-dried salmon to a tough guy like Charles
Bronson, you would see my
mouth open without a single word coming out.
In any case,
I can explain or describe a situation to any local person
in three different languages: English, village
English
and Inupiaq.
I am likely to speak Inupiaq to an Elder because it is
necessary, but I
will
use village English if someone asks me, for instance, “When
you come?” I
can quickly switch between village English and standard
English. I do not use proper English with those who speak
to me in village English because
it may intimidate them or make them feel uncomfortable.
For those of us who speak village English, it is best to
speak this language only
to those who understand it.
Village English exists in me
and in many people who live in the communities in northwest
Alaska. Because of my Iñupiaq
background,
I must admit
English is hard to master in speeches and on paper.
Although
village English may sound funny—meaning bad—to English
instructors,. it has its own beauty to my ears. There’s
no such thing as “correct” village English.
I structure my sentences any way I desire. Rules don’t
limit village English as long as the listener understands.
Village
English is truly a spoken language. It is a form of communication
used by the Inupiat people of this region,
young
and old. The
Iñupiat generally enjoy the humorous side of life, sot
hey speak village
English with a sense
of humor. Village English is infectious, once you’ve
spent time in the village.
“ It is rare to hear a child speak fluent
Inupiaq today.”
Hannah Paniyavluk Loon
Chris Tickett
Shungnak
In the early 1900’s, the missionaries said Eskimos
had to go to school and learn English. They weren’t
allowed to talk in their language or they would get
a spanking with a big paddle. If they did something
wrong in school or hurt someone they would have to
work for the Elders.
If a lady had a child before
she was 18, she would have to make a pair of mukluks for the city and
the city would
sell
them.
I know
because
my aana’s aunty told me a few years back.
If
no one spoke Iñupiaq, it would be very sad and
our values would be lost and all that we are about
would
be lost.
It would be cool
to learn
how
to speak Iñupiaq. I only know a few words.
I took
Iñupiaq for three years but then I went to Anchorage and took Spanish
and sign language.
Now,
Bertha Sheldon
teaches us
and she’s funny.
She keeps my attention and is interesting to listen
to, like a comedienne. My mom can speak Iñupiaq
fluently along with my grandparents and my aunties
and uncles. I would like to learn how.
“ If no one spoke Iñupiaq, it would be
very sad and our values would be lost and all that we are would be
lost.”
Chris Tickett
Iñupiat
Ilitqusiat