"Wherever a Yup'ik comes from in the southwestern region of Alaska, he or she can communicate orally with other Yup'ik speakers from other areas (whether from St. Michael or Togiak) regardless of those slight differences in pronunciation and in vocabulary which occur from place to place. Likewise a person who can read and write in Yup'ik can communicate visually with other people in other places without any difficulty. Language unifies people.Language is not merely a vehicle of communication, however. It is the nucleus or core of the people's culture. Language is one - perhaps the most important - thing that distinguishes one people from another. The distinctive culture which has developed from the days of the people's earliest ancestors is to a remarkable extent deposited and reflected in the language, as is the environment in which they have lived. Many things, feelings, and concepts specific to the Yup'iks could not be accurately expresses in any other language than Yup'ik.
Of all aspects of culture, language is the most resistant to change and loss. This implies that, when the Yup'ik language is lost, the distinctive Yup'ik culture will be totally and irretrievably gone. Once the Yup'iks are culturally and linguistically deprived to the marrow of the bones, all Yup'iks will be lost in the mosquito-like swarm of Kass'aqs and will be no more than additional few Kass'aqs, even if they do not look white. The people's identity could be kept and consolidated most effectively through language.
Like the other Alaska Native languages, Yup'ik had been moving dangerously close to extinction for almost a century especially because of the federal policy of "English only in American schools". But the tide is now changing. With a resurgence of interest in the language and culture among the people, Yup'ik has been slowly regaining viability since the start of bilingual education which was launched in 1970 in the Kuskokwim area."
Preface to Yup'ik Eskimo Orthography by Osahito Miyaoko and Elsie Mather in 1979
1 comment:
Historical values of language are definitely of tremendous value in evaluating earlier cultures. Not just the sustaining values of what is still available, but recalling whatever information and archiving that information for future study.
Sounds, body movements, which are now available are to preserved for future generations. It is truly for the development of man.
Paul Ellefson
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