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American Indian Language Revitalization

This LibGuide is designed to aid students at Haskell Indian Nations University in their search for information on American Indian language revitalization.

About this LibGuide

It is estimated there were approximately 300 American Indian languages in existence prior to European contact; by the end of the 20thcentury only 169 languages remain and according to the American Communities survey only 20 languages can claim 2,000 speakers.[1]Language loss continues to be one of the most critical issues indigenous communities are forced to contend with today. The academic and community-based response to combat this issue is widely acknowledged as the indigenous language revitalization movement. With UNESCO having named 2019 the International Year of Indigenous Languages, the indigenous language revitalization movement only serves to grow stronger and increase headway in the journey to awaken sleeping languages. The objective of this LibGuide is to aid users in their search for information on American Indian language revitalization. The scope of this LibGuide is limited to sources and efforts that pertain to American Indian communities such as challenges and evaluations of language loss, programs and impacts, and resources that support language revitalization efforts. 

  • This guide is intended to support the research and teaching across departments in the Indigenous Nations and American Indian Studies/Social Sciences program at Haskell Indian Nations University.
  • The purple tabs on the left provide recommendations for print/online resources and starting points.
  • Some scholarly sources require authorization through university or library affiliations. You can check with your institution if you are having issues accessing those sources.
  • For the student's at Haskell Indian Nations University I have provided general information about the Tommaney Library directly to the left of this box.
  • Need more help? Send me an email at gmalejandra8@gmail.com. Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions or requests.

[1]"Native American Languages." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th Ed. 2018. Accessed October 17, 2018. https://www.encyclopedia.com/literature-and-arts/language-linguistics-and-literary-terms/language-and-linguistics/native.

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What kind of information are you looking for?

Below are some questions that can help guide you in your search for information:

  • Where can I find information on the challenges and evaluations of American Indian language revitalization? 
  • Where can I find information on the role of language planning and policy in American Indian language revitalization? 
  • Are there any successful American Indian language revitalization programs and where can I find them? 
  • Which organizations and institutions support American Indian revitalization and how can I find them? 
  • Where can I access audio sources, texts or applications that support American Indian language revitalization?