How to say computer in Hawaiian opened my eyes and totally got me thinking of all of the online resources that I use to do research in finding stories of our history or just going through the Hawaiian Language news papers without having to go to Hamilton. It is definitely convenient to just jump on your computer and search for dates and events or keywords that you need to find what you are looking for, and I greatly appreciate that luxury, yet I rarely think of the people who began connecting these resources online and who maintain the sites. They need to be enormously thanked for such valiant work. So, mahalo nui for these resources!!
In class we discuss the well-being of indigenous peoples and their culture from all around the world, our assigned reading also reminds me of Ngūgī Wa Thiongʻo book Decolonising the Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature. Ngūgī reminds us that "language, any language, has a dual character; it is both a means of communication and a carrier of culture." I believe that carrying culture through language is very healthy for a person and their identity.
This reading (and Ngūgīʻs text) had also reminded me of a non-profit organization called Native Languages of the Americas. It is a Minnesota non-profit corporation dedicated to the preservation and promotion of learning endangered American Indian Languages. At the top of the homepage there is a link that is labeled ʻSupport our Organization;ʻ when you open that page there is a description of how people can help to support their cause, not just by donating money, but asking other American Indians to speak their language, if one is fluent in certain dialects to record it, if one can write in an indian language to create a website for others in that tribe to learn from, there are ten more tips/ways to help support the organizationʻs mission. Besides supporting their mission, Native Languages of the Americas have a great website that list Native American Indian Tribes and Languages throughout the Americas. Almost all the languages listed have a dictionary that defines basic terms in each language; even though basic terms like different animals or body parts are defined, at least there is some kind of resource that American Indians can build upon. This organization states that their website is not beautiful but it is a resource that is needed to save and restore languages of indigenous indians of the Americas. I admire this organization and website for their endless work to preserve and maintain language, culture, identity, and overall the well-being of Indians of the Americans.
Here is the link to Native Languages of the Americas website. It is a simple site, yet very valuable for Native American Indians of the Americas; just take a quick look to see the amount of work that went into making this site, it is amazing. I hope the link shows up when I post this.
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