Across North America, dedicated language warriors are powering an upswell, a resurgence, a revitalization of indigenous languages and cultures. Through deliberate suppression and cultural destruction, the five hundred languages spoken on the continent before contact have dwindled to about 150. Their ongoing survival depends on immediate, energetic interventions.
Anton Treuer has been at the forefront of the battle to revitalize Ojibwe for many years. In this impassioned argument, he discusses the interrelationship between language and culture, the problems of language loss, strategies and tactics for resisting, and the inspiring stories of successful language warriors. He recounts his own sometimes hilarious struggle to learn Ojibwe as an adult, and he depicts the astonishing success of the language program at Lac Courte Oreilles, where a hundred children now speak Ojibwe as their first language.
This is a manifesto, a rumination, and a rallying cry for the preservation of priceless languages and cultures.
Download and start listening now!
Be the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Anton Treuer is a professor at Bemidji State University and the award-winning author of many books on Ojibwe history and language. His published works include Warrior Nation: A History of the Red Lake Ojibwe, Ojibwe in Minnesota, The Assassination of Hole in the Day, Atlas of Indian Nations, and Awesiinyensag.
Kaipo Schwab is an actor, director, and producer who has worked at the Roundabout, the Public Theater, Second Stage, Hartford Stage, and Cincinnati Playhouse. Kaipo’s film and television credits include Anesthesia, The Royal Tenenbaums, Law & Order, Rescue Me, and Orange Is the New Black. He lives in New York City.