We Shall Remain Our Language | Teen Ink

We Shall Remain Our Language

October 13, 2010
By marioc GOLD, Horton, Kansas
marioc GOLD, Horton, Kansas
12 articles 0 photos 1 comment

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Native American language was once the most spoken language on the America islands, over a million and or more spoke there peoples language. When the Native American’s encountered with the Europeans that’s when the decrease of the Native Language’s once spoken started to decrease in size.

It took years before the Europeans wanted to make the native Americans to become just like them. They wanted to take the Indian and make them live like the white men did. Most tribes were sent off to boarding schools from their reservation and were punished if they spoke their native tongue. When most of the Indians came back from them schools they were afraid to speak that language, they were made to be ashamed to even know it in those schools.

Most Native Americans didn’t teach their younger generation to speak the language for they were in fear they might be getting punished way worst then they got punished. Generation after generation the English language was starting to be the main language in the American Indian society.

Soon after these events happened, the languages became lost in some tribes. Today there are people in certain tribes trying their best to revive the language. My tribe The Prairie Band Potawatomi and the Kickapoo of Kansas are trying their best to teach the young ones. Down in Mayetta on the PBP reservation there are class that kids and adults could attend to learn how to speak the language, and do cultural activities just how Potawatomi’s did long ago.

The Kickapoo tribe in Kansas is trying their best in their community by teaching the language as a class in the school. The people who try very hard to keep this going are going to be getting old. The only fluent speaker left for the PBP people is already up there in age. The younger generations are trying to learn the language and pass it on to the generation after them.

That’s what our Nish-nah-bek “people as my tribe would say” should try to help out and learn the ways of our ancestors. If we don’t make any effort to this, it surely will be lost. We should make and effort and try to persuade others to do the same. Our people need to make a stand and be proud to be who we are, not ashamed. That’s what our people should do.

The author's comments:
what my people should do.

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