Language Revitalization at Tribal Colleges and Universities: Overviews, Perspectives, and Profiles, 1993-2018

All across Indian Country elders and academics alike agree that language is central to culture, serving as the binding force that gives a people self-awareness and a strong sense of identity. But as fluent Native language speakers continue to age and pass on, the preservation and revitalization of Indigenous languages becomes a race against time. Today, tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) have taken the lead in this great endeavor. Language revitalization is an integral part of their mission and one of the founding principles of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, which represents and advocates on behalf of the nation’s 37 TCUs. This new edited volume from Tribal College Press offers a chronological overview of preservation and revitalization efforts, revealing how programming and thinking on this critical topic have evolved over the past 25 years. Organized into four sections—including overviews on the state of language revitalization at TCUs, philosophies and opinions, individual tribal college program profiles, and research on revitalization strategies—Language Revitalization at Tribal Colleges and Universities pulls together an array of articles, essays, reports, and speeches that showcase the great efforts being made to preserve, protect, and revitalize Indigenous languages at TCUs across the United States. The first book of its kind, Language Revitalization at Tribal Colleges and Universities is an indispensable resource for educators, researchers, and administrators concerned with Indigenous language protection and revitalization. Read more