Stoney Language - Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation

ALEXIS STONEY LANGUAGE PROGRAM

"Isga Owawabi"

(Stoney Language Alphabet)

a

â

aa

b

c

c'

d

e

ê

ee

g

h

i

î

ii

j

k

k'

m

n

o

ô

oo

p

p'

r

s

sh

t

t'

u

û

uu

w

x

y

z

zh

?

Basic Vocabulary (Sample Dictionary)

For permission to use information contact Liz Letendre, Education Director (Alexis Board of Education) at:

Email: Lletendre@alexised.ca.

Mailing address: Box 27 Glenevis, Alberta T0E 0X0

Phone: (780) 967-4878

Philosephy:

The Stoney language is a gift to the Stoney people from the Creator.

It embodies all that is fundamental to the identity of a Stoney. Historically, the elders passed this gift on to the younger generations. It took a lifetime to share their knowledge of the language and culture. Today, we live in a fast-paced technological age where we get our information from the media and the internet instantaneously; less time is spent with our elders and the traditional means of passing on the language and culture is not as effective as it once was.

Isga I?abi recognizes the invaluable resource we have in our elders and the limited amount of time available to use this resource. Therefore, elders will play a significant role in teaching the Stoney language and culture in the school.

The purpose of Isga I?abi is to equip the students with the fundamental components of the Stoney language necessary for them to communicate effectively. The Communicative Approach to language learning focuses more on language use and development and less on explicit grammatical instruction. Communicative language teaching assumes that the student will learn the language through using the language in “communicative situations.” The Isga I?abi curriculum adopts this philosophy and aims to create communicative situations through the use of cultural themes.

The Isga I?abi curriculum is divided into five culturally-based thematic units. The themes are broad in order for the instructor to develop a variety of lessons to attain the linguistic and cultural teaching objectives. Each theme includes a suggested vocabulary list, which is meant to be a guide. The students not only need to build vocabulary but they also need to learn how to use this vocabulary to communicate. That is, as the students learn the vocabulary, an activity should be provided for the students to use the new words in a communicative situation.

Learning a language is a multi-sensory process. The greater the number of senses utilized in learning the language the more likely the student is to acquire the concepts. Language learning requires listening, speaking, reading, writing, and creating. Once the student has listened to the instructor or read a piece of selected writing then he/she willl practice articulating the words both orally and in writing. Because language is creative, and not a series of memorized sentences, students will be given opportunities to practice creating novel sentences. This experience may be guided and structured at the earlier stages of the program.

Isga I?abi teaches the basic components of the Stoney language and how to use them in oral and written communication. Students will master the sounds and the sound-symbol correspondence, develop a working vocabulary, acquire a basic grammar and become proficient in discourse.

Students will also learn about their culture. They will learn about traditional values, lifestyle, spirituality and history. In addition, students will explore contemporary Stoney culture. The lifestyle and values of the Stonies today has changed and adapted from our ancestors. Contemporary culture is equally important and valuable as traditional culture because together they define who we are.

One of the main objectives of Isga I?abi is to help students develop a stronger sense of identity and self-worth through strengthening their ties with their culture. This includes developing a stronger sense of community through learning about family and community responsibilities, values, and roles.

The three components of Isga I?abi: Language, Culture, and Personal Development and Building Community, are integrated but each has a distinct focus. The Language component develops the linguistic competence necessary to communicate effectively in Stoney. The Culture component identifies and reinforces traditional and contemporary Stoney values. The Personal Development and Building Community component fosters the development of the student’s identity as a Stoney and as a responsible member of a community.

Each Stoney community includes a number of different Stoney dialects which are generally distinguished by family clans. Isga I?abi recognizes each dialect as equally legitimate and important as the others. While the instructor teaches his/her own dialect of Stoney, acceptance and understanding of dialectal differences is promoted in the Stoney classroom.

Rationale:

The goal of Isga I?abi is to equip students with the necessary linguistic skills and knowledge to enable them to communicate competently and confidently in Stoney both in school and in community contexts.

Students will develop proficiency in Stoney through experience in various media of communication. Speaking and listening skills will enhance students’ cognitive abilities to explore ideas, to organize information, to gain understanding, and to develop the interactive aspect of language (i.e. conversation). Reading and writing skill further enrich students’ cognitive development. Literacy provides students with an alternative means of expression and accessing information, which requires comprehension, interpretation of meaning, formulation of thought, and creativity of expression.

Students who learn Stoney will enhance their language skills and their cognitive skills. The development of these second language skills will enhance the development of their first language. Increased proficiency in English will not only boost the students’ confidence but it will also improve their academic performance.

Learning Stoney will bridge a generational gap that is intensified by the limited communication between young and old due to language differences. It will provide the students with a means for interacting with their parents and with the older generations who are not fluent in English. Increased interaction between generations and among families will strengthen familial and generational bonds, which in turn will build a sense of unity in the Alexis community.

To learn a language is to gain an understanding of the concepts, philosophies, expressions, lifestyle, and humour unique to that culture. Learning Stoney will open a window of perspective that was not accessible to the English-only student because a Stoney speaker has a unique perspective and understanding of the world that can only be understood through the Stoney language. In this way, being able to speak Stoney will provide the students with the means to explore their Stoney history, spirituality, cultural values, traditions, and beliefs. Gaining an understanding of their culture will help the students to develop a positive self-concept and self-identity.

As more and more people speak Stoney the hope for the preservation of the language grows. Maintaining the language preserves the cultural attitudes and perspectives that are inextricably tied to the language.

Language Classification

Isga I?abi or Stoney is the language of the Alexis First Nation people. The Stoney language is part of the Siouan language family, which covers a vast area of the Great Plains in both Canada and the United States spanning from Minnesota to Alberta. Within Alberta there are 3 mutually intelligible dialects of Stoney; Alexis First Nation, Paul First Nation and Morley (Nakota Nation). While there are some dialect differences between the three dialects, Alexis and Paul dialects are the most similar.

State of the Stoney Language

The Stoney language is commonly spoken by the fluent speakers within the Alexis community. The fluent speakers are approximately 35 years of age and older. Under the age of 35 the number of fluent speakers is very limited. Stoney is still commonly spoken in social settings and ceremonies. The Stoney Language Department will be conducting a language survey during the summer of 2004 to accurately assess the state of the Stoney language (i.e. who is speaking the language, attitudes toward the language, and relative fluency levels).

Language Revival Efforts

The primary approach to reviving the language has been to teach the Stoney language in the community school. It is a required course for grades 1-9 and an accredited course for high school. The Stoney Language Department was sponsored by the Government of Alberta, Alberta Learning, to develop a High School Stoney Language curriculum for grades 10, 11, and 12. The first two levels are completed and the grade 12 level is currently being developed. When the curriculum is completed then each level of the curriculum will be available for distribution.

Content Prepared by: Cory Ryerson Erdman, Linguist

(Stoney Language Curriculum Research & Development)

Additional Educational Resources: Click any image below to enlarge in pdf format for screen. (The PDF files are large files and can take several minutes to download depending on bandwidth.)