Native American languages in the U. S.

[alexderfranke]

Helllo everybody,
I am from Germany. I am interested in linguistics and the situation of indigenous peoples of the world. Therefore the situation of Native Americans and their languages are of interest, too. During my schooling, we had dealt with Native Americans in our English lessons, too, when the topic were the United States.

I would like to ask a few questions to you as Native American citizens of the U. S.

I have read that several programs are underway in order to save Native American languages. I am wondering if there is a growing interest in Native American culture, and history and languages, too, among non-native US-Americans. Are courses in Native American studies and languages available in some mainstream schools below college or university level? In contrast to Australian and New Zealandish statistics, I have found no educational statistics on indigenous language programs stating the number of Native and non-native American students being involved. Do you know something about this? For example, the Lakota Language Consortium states on its internet site that their materials are used outside the reservations, too. But I have not found information about courses witthin the curriculum, however, what I find strange.


I think that it would be important that knowledge about Native Americans and in Native American languages spread into the mainstream population. This could give the non-native citizens an identity marker within the English-speaking world. Unfortunately unification has been the objective of politics in many countries. In the U.S., many citizens still show narrow-minded Anglo-American focussed attitudes today, do they?
One day, I have met an US-American in Ireland and he himself told me this: Somebody who speaks two languages, is...bilingual. Somebody who speaks three languages, is...trilingual. Then he asked me about somebody who speaks just one language. I said °monolingual". He answered me:"No. American!"

Thank you very much for your replies.

Alex