Journal on Ethnopolitics and Minority Issues in Europe (Apr 2012)
Why Care about Lënapei lixsëwakàn? Ethnography of the Lenape Language Loss
Abstract
The Delaware Tribe of Oklahoma, which originated in the Northeastern Woodlands, today struggles to preserve the Lenape language of their ancestors, whose last fluent native speaker died in 2002. The tribe's language reclamation efforts are in large part connected with the works of Jim Rementer, a non-Indian who came to live with them at the beginning of the 1960s, learned their language, and in the course of time became the director of their language project. However, the 'old ways' - former cultural patterns - have long since been abandoned or dramatically changed, and together with them their attachment to the language. Those few Delawares who do try to learn it must study it as a second language, without a natural/traditional learning setting. The 11,000 Delawares live, go to school and work among a much larger non-native society, which makes mastering the language extremely difficulty. Yet, despite this situation, effotrts to protect the language continue to be made, and an impressive source base for contemporary and future learners (Delaware language grammar, internet dictionary, CD lessons) has been contrinually enlarged. Today, when political divisions within the tribe weaken the community cohesiveness, a well documented language, 'alive in Delawares' minds', remains one of the most valuable elements of their heritage, a source of their ethnic pride, but also a challenge.
