folks:
i remember when i was in the service and the many trips we made to foreign countries where we had to speak another language in order to communicate with our peers over there, if we wanted something to eat, or drink, or just seeking directions. i found it interesting to do this and i found the people engaging. i never thought it was a bother to learn some expressions to make myself understood and when i made subtle mistakes speaking a new language, no one made fun of me, but patiently corrected me and taught me to say it the right way. i never felt threatened in any way by anyone i met.
it is my beleif many american politicians and people who favor the”english only policy” the government wants to adopt feel threatened in some way by having all these foreigners among us, and having to learn some new words and customs to interact and communicate effectively scares them a little. they are no longer in control. i have traveled in some places where the american was considered “ugly” and “controlling”. i have also felt at times, that i didn’t want to be identified with americans, and did not want people referring to me as an american indian. i used to tell them i was neshnabe, not american, and that iwas here in america before america ever was.
the whole concept of america and democracy is a borrowed policy and the american writers of the constitution could rightly say they borrowed their whole idea of democray and freedom from the native people they met, especially the haudenoshaunee people. benjamin franklin and many others were very much impressed with the league of the iroquois and they had many meetings with these folks, as well as with other native nations, whom they emulated, in terms of framing their new democratic government.
why did they keep slavery?
why did they take so long to give their women the right to vote?
why did they not allow free trade and commerce to the common people too, these framers of the constitution?
and now they want to foist an “english only” policy on the rest of the country?
i love my language. it is the tongue given to me by the creator and he/she expected me to use it. why else did he/she give it to me? i do not want to lose my language. i don’t know about others among our rank and file, but if we don’t do something to learn our language, we are not going to have it much longer. i am going to be 68 years young this year and it will not be much longer before i go the way of all flesh. what will happen to our language if my children and the folks i so courageously teach today, if they don’t learn the language of their forefathers, after i pass from this scene? it does make one wonder, eh?
hang in there and learn all you can while there are still people alive who can teach you……..
neaseno ndesh ne kas, iw enaj moyan ngom……..
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English only?
Several states are trying to make English the official language, requiring that all business be conducted in English.
What a shame.
Do you realize that if English were the only language, we wouldn’t have the states of Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, Mississippi, Ohio, Alaska, or Hawaii? We would no longer have the cities of Seattle, Miami, Chicago, or Milwaukee! Or Sacramento, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Antonio, or Las Vegas! We would no longer have the Mississippi River, the Missouri River, Lake Michigan, or Lake Huron! George Washington would have never crossed the Potomac River!
There would be no Mardi Gras!!!! There would be no New Orleans, no Baton Rouge!
Are you saying we can no longer go to a place of business and order pizza, tacos, burritos, spaghetti, salsa, moo goo gai pan, chou mein, lo mein, kim-chee, sushi, kebabs, or a salami and provolone sandwich?
We couldn’t go to the store and buy queso dip, tortillas, mozzarella cheese, pita bread, or éclairs! We couldn’t go to a zoo and see a flamingo or a moose!
We would also be without Psi Beta Kappa, Delta Chi, Sigma Chi, Delta Delta Delta, Lambda Alpha, and every other Greek fraternity/sorority organization!!
Do you realize that many religious observances are conducted in languages that are considered sacred and part of the religious ceremony? How can you conduct a Jewish Bar-mitzvah, a Latin Mass, or a Muslim Prayer Service without their languages? And what about Native Americans who use their language in their sacred ceremonies?
If English became the only language, we could no longer have a rendezvous, nor could we RSVP for one! (For those who don’t know, it stands for Respondez S’il Vous Plait!)
I LIVE IN TECUMSEH, OKLAHOMA. To say that would be illegal, seeing as neither Tecumseh or Oklahoma are English words!!!
To those of you who believe in English Only for Americans, try going for ONE DAY without using a word that comes from another language!!!!
Without using Hola, Ciao, Aloha, or Adios.
- Without using Habeas Corpus, No Solo Contendre, or the abbreviations i.e. or e.g.
- Without going to Taco Bell, Taco Grandé, Taco Bueno, Taco Mayo, or Taco John’s.
- Without having a rendezvous, or sending in an RSVP.
- Without calling a Physician, Psychologist, Psychiatrist, Podiatrist, Dentist, Neurologist, Dermatologist, Chiropractor, or going to a SPA (named after a town in Belgium!!)
America is an amalgamation of languages and cultures from all around the world. It is this diversity that makes us strong, adaptable, and NOT BORING!! It is FEAR that is driving this English only movement! Fear of people and words that are not understood! I’d say it was Xenophobia, but that’s another illegal word!!
Here’s a thought. Instead of making English the only official language, how’s about requiring that EVERY AMERICAN learn at least THREE languages!
STOP THE MADNESS!! Accept the non-Englishness of American English! Be proud of your heritage, and your neighbor’s heritage, and your parents and your grandparents and your great-grandparents and anyone else you know who is American but talks differently than you!!! Don’t be afraid of things you don’t understand!
Listen to Spanish language radio! Watch international TV stations! Read international newspapers and websites! Learn an endangered language! Get educated! Get informed! Education is the only way to combat ignorance!!
If you speak another language, DON’T STOP!!!!! Keep speaking it, even to yourself if you have to!!
PASS IT ON!!
Donald and Dolores Perrot
http://www.neaseno.org
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kyet nam she gi kche ksenya dbekok shote embwachewyan.
cho wi she school wgi towat nekmek ngoji pi shote ngom….
ksenyamget ektowat gode naganijek……
well folks, it is cold and very chilly up here in the north country today…
I had no idea it was going to be this cold, otherwise I would have planned this trip another time. It was -24 below zero last night with wind chill factors in excess of -45 below zero at times with that cold north wind blowing. I came up here to do some interviews with some of our esteemed elders only to find many of them ill with all this cold weather about.
My mother is feeling better today but feels she wants to wait another day before she tries to do any lengthy talking with anyone. So it is a matter of waiting out this cold weather to see if we can film and record some of our elders on this trip. I think we may be able to do so tomorrow and then again on wednesday and thursday, so all is not lost.
That is a brief report of this trip into chilly Wisconsin during the month of February.
ahau, ik she ye i eshe webek shote egi bya yan wa je kigdoyan anet gode kekyajek.
bama she gwi bsendageyek wa zhechkeyak epabmadziyak shote ngoji pi.
ngi nedwendamen wa je zhechkeyak ode kedwenen bwamshe epamsewat gi kekyajek.
ahau, bama mine gwi kigdomen embyegeyan shote……..
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