Myaamiaataweenki

Abstract

The discussion around indigenous language revitalization must include languages “reawakening” after a period of dormancy. New paradigms are needed to describe the developing role of reawakening languages, their impact on community and individual identity, and the necessary capacity-building to support their reconstruction and reintroduction into tribal society. If sleeping languages are excluded from the conversation, much will be lost in understanding minority language development and vitality for contemporary life within a larger dominant society. This chapter describes the development of a recently “reawakened” language that ceased to be spoken in the mid-twentieth century, and attempts to capture its developmental trajectory in the context of an evolving community-based educational system. The Myaamia language is emerging in new domains. It is driven by a collaborative effort of internal and external resources that demonstrate what is possible for a reclaimed language.