Canku Ota
	(Many Paths)
	An Online Newsletter Celebrating Native America
	September 8, 2001 - Issue 44
	Advocates of Indigeous California Language Survival

When Native American languages die, we all lose part of our heritage. Beyond the linguistically important loss of grammatical, semantic and cognitive aspects of these native languages so much more is being lost. Language carries embedded within it the cultural values of the society it sprung from. Unique world-views, oral literature and whole bodies of knowledge disappear with each vanishing tongue. More importantly, language loss is a human rights issue. The native communities of California have had their languages taken from them involuntarily. Indigenous people view their languages as the bearers of their culture, transmitter of their ceremonies and record of their history, their way of life and their very identity. Efforts to revitalize or regain lost languages are complex and difficult, in most cases there are only a few elderly speakers left, none of whom are trained to teach the language. There are also no pedagogical materials for most languages and only rarely written records. Even extant speakers have little or no opportunity to use their language, so the language is rarely heard. The Advocates for Indigenous California Language Survival is an organization devoted to implementing and supporting the revitalization of indigenous California languages. Its mission is to assist California Indians in language maintenance and renewal. California was and still is one of the most linguistically diverse parts of the world. Estimates as to how many indigenous languages were spoken here before contact range from 80 to 100. There are presently 50 indigenous languages that still have one or more native speakers, though these numbers are dwindling fag. There are also at least 30 languages with no native speakers left with descendents who desperately want to regain their languages. The Advocates mission is to make their efforts successful. It is the dream of the Advocates that California Indian languages will once again be spoken in native communities. The Advocates for Indigenous California Language Survival was founded in 1993 as an affiliate program of Native California Network, a funding agent in the Native communities of California. The Advocates was formed to reverse the unacceptable trend toward extinction of more than 50 Native California languages. In its eight years of existence, the Advocates have trained and monitored over 70 Master Apprentice teams. The organization has also produced an ongoing program of native Language conferences and workshops that bring together native scholars, linguists and language advocates to share the knowledge and skills necessary to carry out language restoration in their local communities. Members of the Board of Directors are also language trainers and have worked with numerous tribes throughout the country, training groups in Oregon, Nevada, Alaska, Oklahoma and Minnesota. In 1999, the Advocates for Indigenous California Language Survival became an affiliate program of the Seventh Generation Fund. To learn more about the Advocates of Indigeous California Language Survival contact: Advocates for Indigenous California Language Survival 1215 66th St. Berkeley, CA 94702

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