Language is a funny thing. We think of language as a tool to conduct business transactions, to communicate to each other. Or, we take it for granted. Language lives and dies and, as is the case with the Muscogee (Creek) Tribe, it is dying too quickly for fluent speakers to be replenished. For the Muscogee (Creek), and many other Native American tribes, language is a cultural link to the past.
Texas State University professor of anthropology, Kent Reilly, is attempting to bring a Muscogee (Creek) language class to the university’s Modern Languages department with the intent to expand to other Native languages in the future.
“That would do two things. One is it would fulfill the language requirement,” said Reilly. “Secondly, the Creeks themselves are incredibly interested in cultural preservation. And they are worried about their language disappearing.”
The plan would target and offer to Muscogee (Creek) students, as well as all other university students, the chance to perpetuate their language and also provide alternative educational opportunities that the Tribal College does not. The College of the Muscogee Nation only offers four degrees including a Gaming degree, a Service degree, a Native American Studies program, and a Police Science degree.
“They want to be professionals, doctors and lawyers and business people,” said Reilly. “We have all of that.”
Many individuals support the program and with good reason Reilly believes. The professor can count numerous positive affects of having such a program.
“If you are a minority serving institution, you get funding. And that is the name of the game,” said Reilly. “They would get the cultural preservation that they want with degrees from an accredited university.”
01 December 2009
Lost in Time: support from Florida
With the number of Native American students enrolling at Texas State growing each semester and the presence of Native Americans on campus becoming more prominent, others have noticed a need for a Native language program. Dan Penton holds the position of Traditional Chief and Heleshayv, or medicine maker, of the Eastern Creek Tribe of Florida. As part of his duties, he works to perpetuate the traditional practices of his tribe, including language.
“Language is the most important thing to maintain when you have so few speakers,” said Penton. “There are damn few and it takes quite a few people to maintain a valid language. The Navajo were lucky in that sense. The government subsidization of the Navajo language during World War II helped the language survive.”
According to Penton, there are less than 1,000 fluent speakers of the Creek language and less than 5,000 that speak any form of it.
“We are committed to making available opportunities the ability to learn the language,” added Penton. “As long as there are speakers of the language, then it stays alive.”
Additionally, Penton believes that the Native language program at Texas State would benefit both his own tribe as well as the university’s wellbeing.
“I think having a well respected and acknowledged Native American linguistic program and language offered in the curriculum increases your reputation in the university field,” said Penton. “To have something that goes elsewhere than the romance language is looked upon in the academic community as being serious and scholarly.”
“Language is the most important thing to maintain when you have so few speakers,” said Penton. “There are damn few and it takes quite a few people to maintain a valid language. The Navajo were lucky in that sense. The government subsidization of the Navajo language during World War II helped the language survive.”
According to Penton, there are less than 1,000 fluent speakers of the Creek language and less than 5,000 that speak any form of it.
“We are committed to making available opportunities the ability to learn the language,” added Penton. “As long as there are speakers of the language, then it stays alive.”
Additionally, Penton believes that the Native language program at Texas State would benefit both his own tribe as well as the university’s wellbeing.
“I think having a well respected and acknowledged Native American linguistic program and language offered in the curriculum increases your reputation in the university field,” said Penton. “To have something that goes elsewhere than the romance language is looked upon in the academic community as being serious and scholarly.”
Lost in Time: policy and dissent
Although there are many supporters of the program, and others that support the theory of the program, there are some that bring a dissenting voice to the argument. Ann Marie Ellis, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts believes that, because there would be, comparatively, so few students taking the Native language course, that there could be several obstacles.
“I would think that the teaching of a Native American language, it would be more difficult to find somebody qualified to teach it,” said Ellis.
The qualifications, according to Reilly, should consist of a background in teaching languages and the ability to speak Muscogee (Creek). Others believe it would be difficult, if not impossible, to find an instructor with such qualifications as well as one that meets the criteria of the university. However, according to Ellis, the policy concerning the qualification of instructors is out of hers, and the university’s, hands.
“In order to teach on the college level, you have to have 18 graduate level hours in that area,” said Ellis.
The policy that qualifies instructors to teach originates from guidelines that have been implemented by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The SACS is the governing body of colleges from Texas to Florida and Kentucky.
Ellis’s statement was confirmed by documents obtained from the SACS web site. However, the rule calling for these criteria is merely a guideline. The SACS defines guidelines and policies and a guideline is more lenient than a policy.
“A guideline is an advisory statement designed to assist institutions in fulfilling accreditation requirements. As such, guidelines described recommended educational practices for documenting requirements of the Principles of Accreditation and are approved by the Executive Council,” states the SACS web site. “The guidelines are examples of commonly accepted practices that constitute compliance with the standard. Depending upon the nature and mission of the institution, however, other approaches may be more appropriate and also provide evidence of compliance.”
The SACS definition of ‘guideline’ provides enough leeway to allow a Native language program to exist at Texas State. With the policy-makers at the university on his side, Reilly has an opportunity to implement a program that would benefit all students, especially those of Native American descent, Texas State and the Muscogee (Creek) tribe. However, even Reilly has his reservations.
“You don’t necessarily expect fast answers to complex questions,” said Reilly. “They’re a lot more cautious about dealing with non-Indian peoples, white people if you will, because they’ve been burned so many times.”
“I would think that the teaching of a Native American language, it would be more difficult to find somebody qualified to teach it,” said Ellis.
The qualifications, according to Reilly, should consist of a background in teaching languages and the ability to speak Muscogee (Creek). Others believe it would be difficult, if not impossible, to find an instructor with such qualifications as well as one that meets the criteria of the university. However, according to Ellis, the policy concerning the qualification of instructors is out of hers, and the university’s, hands.
“In order to teach on the college level, you have to have 18 graduate level hours in that area,” said Ellis.
The policy that qualifies instructors to teach originates from guidelines that have been implemented by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The SACS is the governing body of colleges from Texas to Florida and Kentucky.
Ellis’s statement was confirmed by documents obtained from the SACS web site. However, the rule calling for these criteria is merely a guideline. The SACS defines guidelines and policies and a guideline is more lenient than a policy.
“A guideline is an advisory statement designed to assist institutions in fulfilling accreditation requirements. As such, guidelines described recommended educational practices for documenting requirements of the Principles of Accreditation and are approved by the Executive Council,” states the SACS web site. “The guidelines are examples of commonly accepted practices that constitute compliance with the standard. Depending upon the nature and mission of the institution, however, other approaches may be more appropriate and also provide evidence of compliance.”
The SACS definition of ‘guideline’ provides enough leeway to allow a Native language program to exist at Texas State. With the policy-makers at the university on his side, Reilly has an opportunity to implement a program that would benefit all students, especially those of Native American descent, Texas State and the Muscogee (Creek) tribe. However, even Reilly has his reservations.
“You don’t necessarily expect fast answers to complex questions,” said Reilly. “They’re a lot more cautious about dealing with non-Indian peoples, white people if you will, because they’ve been burned so many times.”
Lost in Time: future of the language
The growing presence of Native American students on the Texas State campus can no longer be ignored. According to statistics gathered by the university's Department of Institutional Resources, the number of students attending has grown by 58.6% from 1999 to 2010. This presence manifests itself in several ways including the Native American Student Association or NASA.
NASA hosted an inter-tribal powwow, bringing people from all walks to life to Texas State to celebrate all Native American cultures. Among those people included the student members of NASA, presenters and performers from different tribes and others who came simply to enjoy the show.
“I think the organization gives students a sense of community since it is such a small minority,” said sophomore Brittany Thornton. “They can connect with each other and become involved in activities that promotes Native American cultures.”
Thornton, a Muscogee (Creek) Indian, is reconnecting with her Native American roots. She is actively trying to recover the language that her grandfather speaks.
“He, well he was in jail, but he was sending me packets, papers that had the words written out,” said Thornton. “But it’s really hard if you can’t hear it. I would never know if I was saying it the right way.”
Reilly, as well as Thornton, believes that hearing the Muscogee (Creek) language spoken by a fluent speaker is a key component to learning the language and, for this reason, finds a need for a Native language class through the university. However, as is the concern of some faculty at Texas State, Thornton does not know if the program could be successful.
“I think it could go either way,” said Thornton. “It’s not really popular, like one of the more well known tribes. Everybody knows Cherokee. I really don’t know.”
Some faculty members are concerned that, because the language is not in high demand, it will not be possible to generate enough interest in the class to enable the program to proceed. Though other languages, such as Chinese, Japanese and Arabic, are not in high demand and have succeeded, it takes student interest and commitment sustain a Native Language program.
“I would definitely be kind of interested,” said Secretary of NASA and junior Lorenzo Garcia. “If they offered classes it would definitely pique my interest.”
The time it takes to implement a Native language program, let alone a Muscogee (Creek) class, leaves students wondering if the class would be available in time to complete their language requirement. Garcia, also a Native American hymnal singer and drummer, expresses concerns that demonstrate the majority of students.
“It depends on what Native language it was,” said Garcia. “Me personally, I probably wouldn’t. Just for the fact that I’m about to graduate and I’m already taking more classes than I need at this point.”
Though there are several obstacles, the majority of faculty policy-makers, students and the general public agree that a Native language course at Texas State would benefit everybody for different reasons. William Harjo, a card-carrying member of the Muscogee (Creek) nation and a self-proclaimed ‘100%’ Native American sees the benefit of such language programs for his own children, grandchildren and the future of the language.
“My youngest one is picking it up, studying it and trying to teach it to his son, my grandson,” said Harjo. “I think it would be beneficial because they already have it, not only in OU, but they have them in other colleges in Oklahoma. I would like them to be able to speak the language.”
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