By BRODIE FARQUHAR
Star-Tribune
6/29/2003
FORT WASHAKIE -- Serious fun was on the agenda last week for the Eastern
Shoshone Tribe of Wind River Reservation, as they hosted a multi-day
reunion for all Shoshone-speaking tribes.
Saving the Uto-Aztecan Shoshonean languages and cultures of Western tribes
is serious business, involving classes in schools and coordinating a
series of annual cultural reunions.
Academics around the world and here in Wyoming are concerned that native
tongues and cultures are rapidly being lost. In North America, there are
some 200 Indian languages, but experts say only about 50 have more than
1,000 speakers. The Uto-Aztecan Shoshonean tribes collectively have
several thousand members, according to University of Minnesota research.
While teachers bring the language and culture to local schools and Central
Wyoming College in Riverton, Reunion President Leola Nagitsy and members
of the Shoshone Business Council planned the fourth Shoshonean Reunion,
now in rotation among the Shoshone, Comanche, Shoshone-Bannock, Paiute,
Ute and other tribes. Serious business, yet all know how to have fun while
sharing language and lore among the tribes.
Story telling, historic tours, craft demonstrations, Indian dancing,
games, singing, a style show of native dress and more filled the Rocky
Mountain Hall and nearby Fort Washakie pow-wow grounds. A horse parade and
some outdoor games and contests were cancelled due to summer thunderstorms.
Dancers
A highlight of the reunion festivities on Wednesday was the energetic
dancing and drumbeats of a traditional Aztec fire dance group -- "In
Tlanextli Tlacopan" or "In the Splendor of Tlacopan" in English. Composed
largely of members of the Tellez Family, from the Mexico City barrio of
Tlacopan, the dance group puts on a spectacular show. Linguists and
anthropologists believe the Shoshonean language split off from its
Uto-Aztec roots about 2,000 years ago.
"Yes, this is an authentic dance," said a breathless Martin Tellez after a
strenuous performance in a jaguar-headdress, dancing around and handling
fire to the thunderous roar of drums. "We learned it from our forefathers
and share it now."
Nagitsy said visiting tribes were pleased with the Shoshonean Reunion IV.
"We had over 300 speakers gathered here," she said. While accents differ,
everyone could understand everyone else. Highlights for her was simply the
experience of speaking with other tribes and the giveaway and Chokecherry
dances.
"It was really good," Nagitsy said. "People were hugging each other." Next
year, the Shoshone-Bannock host the reunion in Elko, Nev.
Teacher
Teaching is a full-time job for Standford "Butch" Devinney, 50, a
Shoshonean language and culture instructor for Wyoming Indian Schools
District 14 in nearby Ethete. "The children don't hear the language enough
at home," Devinney said as he manned a booth exhibiting his paintings of
native art.
Devinney has 31 students in his kindergarten through twelfth grade
program. He teaches the little ones the Shoshone vocabulary and then
builds upon that foundation in later grades, pulling in the tribe's
history and culture as students become more and more fluent.
He and other teachers face an uphill battle. "Among our adults, those who
are 45 years old or older still speak the language," Devinney said.
Younger adults have often missed out on learning the Shoshone language
because their parents didn't speak it at home. Memories of students
punished by missionary teachers for not speaking English linger on the
reservation and have created generational gaps in who can and cannot speak
fluent Shoshone. Devinney and other teachers are playing catch up with the
school-age generation, while more and more of their parents are seeking
out elders for tutoring in the Shoshone language.
Devinney said his kindergarten students "pick up the language fast,"
absorbing Shoshonean vocabulary words. By the third and fourth grades,
students are composing sentences. Devinney said he taps the cultural
resources of the tribe, exposing students to bison and how important it
was to the Shoshone.
Devinney credits the elders, and in particular one of his uncles, in
helping bring back the language. "I go to him when I need help with a
particular word," Devinney said. There are large gaps in his own
background where he didn't hear the language, so he's constantly
rediscovering his language and culture himself.
For help with lesson plans, curriculum development and teaching
techniques, Devinney and other teachers have been helped by University of
Wyoming (UW) professors Tim Rush, an early education specialist, and
anthropologist Pamela Innes.
"I've really been impressed with the growth of the Shoshone language
program and the enthusiasm and devotion of the teachers," Rush said. Under
a federal grant, UW has helped develop a Shoshone immersion program for
Head Start students.
Devinney's rediscovery of his Shoshone language and culture has gone
hand-in-hand with his development as an artist. "I try to imagine what it
was like back then and images come to my mind," he said. His paintings of
warriors on horseback or the visions of medicine men show a love for
strong colors and clean lines.
Devinney said his daily reward in teaching is the feedback from students
in the Shoshone language. "When I hear them answer me, that feels good,"
he said.