Resumen de The condition of Native North American languages: the need for realistic assessment and action
Of about 210 indigenous languages still extant in the USA and Canada, 34 are spoken by Speakers of all generations, 35 are spoken by theparental generation and up, 84 are spoken by the grandparental generation and up, and 57 are spoken by only a few aged Speakers. This general profile is compared with a survey ofthe circumpolar North and with that of indigenous languages in New Mexico and Arizona. Of these, the latter exhibit the greatest retention, but even these languages, at the rate things are going, will face the threat of extinction. The major issue of denial is addressed, along with the effects ofbilingual education programs, which, it is argued, may tend to remove responsibility for language transmissionfrom the home to the school. There is an urgent need for facing thefacts and psychology of denial, and for realistic programs that include a commitment to intensive oral immersion. The article concludes with a consideration of the role of linguists in working in the interest of Native American languages and communities.
