Lost in Time: Native American languages struggle for survival

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.”