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(Many Paths)
An Online Newsletter Celebrating Native America
 
 
 
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Oklahoma Native American Youth Language Fair
 
 
by The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal Tribune

On the first Monday and Tuesday of April each year, the Native American Language department of the Sam Noble Museum hosts the Oklahoma Native American Youth Language Fair. Hundreds of pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade Native American language students participate in judged written and oral performance categories that celebrate the use of native languages in traditional and modern ways.

Started in 2003 by former Native American Language curator Mary Linn, Ph.D, the fair provides Native language learners an opportunity to showcase their accomplishments. The fair supports individual and community goals in language maintenance, revitalization and renewal in these ways:

Excellence in language teaching

In preparing for the fair, students and teachers have concrete goals to work toward in their language classes. In addition, the fair provides students and teachers with peer support and new ideas for language learning. The languages have new life with new speakers.

Creating better students

Multiple educational studies show that students in Native language programs perform as well as or better than their peers on academically rigorous tasks.

Instilling pride

Educational studies show that children in Native language programs have higher self-esteem and cultural pride and ultimately have stronger relationships with adults and their communities.

Creating a community of speakers

The fair introduces students to a community of language learners and speakers like themselves. Turning back years of shame associated with language use, the fair helps give prestige and prominence to the learning and speaking of Native languages.

Culturally appropriate assessment

Public speaking has always been a highly-regarded part of Native life. The fair creates a safe and supportive environment for students to use their languages and receive feedback.

Support of literacy and the arts

The fair underscores the value of written and oral literacy, and helps to produce the next generation of writers, storytellers and artists in Native communities.

Transition to higher education

The fair brings Native students into the museum and the University of Oklahoma, many for the first time, and welcomes them into an academic environment.

The fair increases the public’s awareness of language diversity and its contribution to Oklahoma’s rich cultural heritage.

The first language fair in 2003 attracted almost 200 students and teachers to participate in three categories, Poster Art, Spoken Language and Song with Language. The 2015 Fair featured twelve categories, Poster Art, Spoken Language, Modern and Traditional Song, Comics & Cartoons, Books & Literature, PowerPoint Presentation, Advocacy Essay, Film & Video, Spoken and Written Poetry and Master Performers.

The 2015 Language Fair marked the 13th anniversary of the event and drew some 2,700 visitors over two days to observe the work of 1,166 student participants from 90 different tribal, public school, community and family language teaching programs performed in 43 languages. Over 150 live performances and over 360 material submissions filled the program for this year’s fair (total of 514 entries). More than 80 judges, volunteers and staff supported the planning and operation of the fair. The 2015 theme was “Language in Our Future,” which led many students to consider the role of Native language in the contemporary world; cell phones, computers, spaceships and robots decorated many of the Poster Art submissions.

Sponsorship for the 2015 fair was provided by the Sac and Fox Nation, the Chickasaw Nation, the Choctaw Nation, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, the OU Department of Anthropology - Native American Languages Program, OU Department of Native American Studies and University Silkscreen.

The 2016 Fair will be held on Monday, April 4 and Tuesday, April 5, 2016. The new registration website is currently under construction and will be available Jan. 1, 2016.

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Oklahoma Native American Youth Language Fair
On the first Monday and Tuesday of April each year, the Native American Language department of the Sam Noble Museum hosts the Oklahoma Native American Youth Language Fair. Hundreds of pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade Native American language students participate in judged written and oral performance categories that celebrate the use of native languages in traditional and modern ways.

http://samnoblemuseum.ou.edu/collections-and-research/native-american-languages/oklahoma-native-american-youth-language-fair/

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  Canku Ota is a free Newsletter celebrating Native America, its traditions and accomplishments . We do not provide subscriber or visitor names to anyone. Some articles presented in Canku Ota may contain copyright material. We have received appropriate permissions for republishing any articles. Material appearing here is distributed without profit or monetary gain to those who have expressed an interest. This is in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107.  
 
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