The Fight To Save The Dying Languages Of Alaska

[@howzitcruzinthrulife9146]

Our Hawaiian language was a dying language as well. My grandma wasn’t allowed to speak Hawaiian so for almost two generations it was almost lost. Now our language has flourished once again with Hawaiian studies and various programs. We cannot change the past, but we can change our future. Aloha 🤙🏽

[@TheKalihiMan]

I am not indigenous, but I briefly studied the Hawaiian language. In the past, it was not only the language of the indigenous people, but of all inhabitants of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi regardless of ancestry or origin. ʻAʻole ka ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi no nā Kānaka Maoli wale no (please excuse any mistakes, it’s been a while since I first learned).

[@richie3802]

Beautiful! So happy to hear that our sister languages of the pacific are being revitalized. Aroha Mai ❤

[@zimbabwe-wz5iw]

Thats a good saying

[@merlin6625]

Mahalo

[@merlin6625]

I'm part Native American, I can relate to this. A'HO Hiy Hiy

[@tyrranicalt-rad6164]

I'm native American and my language is slowly going extinct. It's a big reason why I chose to study linguistics.

[@ungrateful-66]

TyrranicalT-Rad It should be offered to be taught in schools. I studied Spanish for four years myself, along with French for two years even though I already knew English and Spanish. I’M WHITE and would’ve happily studied and mastered any of the native languages still spoken here in Florida.

[@militarylife5534]

It is because of The STUPID USA

[@maritzamartinez5376]

I’m studying linguistics for the same reason.

[@militarylife5534]

@DCM88 Language is not better than other language as long as the message is sent. It is perception.

[@ericwilliams8371]

@TyrranicalT-Rad I think it is great that you are doing that. I’m white and I have little experience with Native American cultures or languages, but I love learning about them and watching videos documenting their current status like this one. What language are you studying?

[@fionamay852]

Speaking Irish in schools was banned by the English, its taught as a subject now but majority of Irish people cant speak fluent Irish now. Such a shame......

[@jenisedai]

Same thing about Scottish Gaelic- the English tried to wipe it out and now it's a dying language, too.

[@MrApplehair]

Fiona May it’s a cultural genocide. English were the best at it

[@john.dough.9423]

This is probably the worst case of them all, i saw a map about the last place in Ireland where people speak irish and it's in a very remote place in Connacht. Same happened here in Britanny, France, although alot of people are starting to learn breton

[@dailysandwich4838]

Id say these days the problem is all the immigrants in ireland not learning irish and in result making ppl speak in english with them...

[@lekhwaramit]

@y z it is because indian politicians and businesses encourage mostly services sector(depends too much on English speaking nations) and not manufacturing sector. Also some tamilians who know that hindi is most popular language in india, they tried to promote English as substitute of hindi and discourage even their native tamil language.

[@ALFRABEIRA]

When a language dies, a world dies with it.

[@drrd4127]

I am from Scotland. People ask me all the time "can you speak Scottish Gaelic?", I am so embarrassed to say no but it almost never existed in my school. I did speak Scots and got told by the teachers I needed to speak "proper English", it was so frustrating.

[@rachiebabii916]

Than try to learn it.

[@allisonguthrie8257]

It’s never too late to learn it. There are resources! The internet is amazing for language revitalization. If you put in the work of learning it is an adult, if you have kids/nieces and nephews/etc someday, you can pass that gift on to them so that they have the gift of being raised already knowing it.

[@Alaskan-Armadillo]

It is sad because there are still regions of Europe that speak languages different from what is deemed the official language.

[@rpgabe7554]

The Duolingo Bird needs to see this.

[@marmot1434]

Duolingo bird: either the languages die or you die

[@Nehmi]

Yeeesssssss!!!!!

[@NatalieL523]

Loss of culture leads to a loss of belonging and purpose. It is a hard thing to deal with when you feel no one truly accepts you.

[@SerHuntsReviews]

@Agent Orange ikr

[@NatalieL523]

You can’t deny that it happens. Don’t be so triggered 🙄

[@gypsysoul1245]

Exactly, feeling rootlessness causes despair, a lost of belonging, lost in tradition as well which prevents many culprit acts, Japan is an example of a strong tradition that's why their barley any crimes in a nation of over a hundred million

[@richie3802]

@Agent Orange don't you have a culture

[@kittydollsxo189]

@@gypsysoul1245 I don't think that's the reason but *because of they're culture* it's why their are less crimes *not* because it's a strong tradition some cultures are okay with violent acts which causes crimes.

[@kieranbrown9234]

As a Alaskan Native I'm deeply concerned of how the English language is conquering most of our heritage and language but time will tell if our languages will survive or be eradicated

[@akariel123]

Hopefully efforts like this will help them survive.

[@kieranbrown9234]

Only time will tell and I'm not one of the speakers of my heritage which im trying not to be one of the only people with one language spoken

[@scj3188]

Yeah europeans(white colonizers) tend to attack anything that isn't white.

[@MsEliteForever]

English wins thank God,so I dont have to learn others. Im bad at other languages. Yet you all shouldn't forget your own.

[@MsEliteForever]

@@jamesrusselleriii8284 wow

[@hi-ln6ur]

In Ireland gaelic was almost lost,now it's a mandatory & an entire sem-large part of the country where gaelic is the primary language.All it takes is patience & time

[@dreadpiraterobertsii4420]

So Irelands been independent for 100 years now so surely you all must be fluent.

[@dreadpiraterobertsii4420]

@@RanchDressingPop-Tarts so a hundred years isn’t enough? 200 hundred? If a hundred years to you is short sighted how many years isn’t?

[@haleyharding4732]

@@dreadpiraterobertsii4420 pretty sure they didn’t reincorporate it into public schools until 2001. Lol the brits are still so hung up on the Irish yet they ignore the grooming gangs in their streets.

[@NcxX-c8f]

Irish Gaelic is still struggling though

[@Fatblue246]

Gaeilge while increasing in numbers of speakers, is still very much a minority language that is in danger. Things like gaelscoil are helping but when compared to how the Welsh who are still in the UK managed to revive their language it really has failed as a revival. This in part is due to poor policy by the Irish state, but also IMO in part due to the culture around speaking Gaeilge. For a long time speaking Gaeilge was not seen as like a "cool" thing to do, and many people feel very insecure about the fact that they don't have much irish, which makes them not want to use the minimal amount they do have. It just creates a culture of people not using the language. I will say, that thankfully that does seem to be changing especially amongst the younger generation, which is a hopeful sign. But honestly for total revival you would need to implement strategies like the Israeli government did when reviving Hebrew.

[@nataliep9651]

I really REALLLY REEAALLLY want them to succeed. Language is a beautiful thing that tethers you to your culture, heritage, and our past. I think that I would lose my second language skills would completely change me as a person

[@arcticpolyglots]

“Each time a language dies, another flame goes out, another sound goes silent.” ― Ariel Sabar

[@takesha959]

My heart goes out to these people. I’m happy that you have this opportunity to save your language and culture.

[@cynthiavanteylingen7922]

interesting video more languages please vice its good to know about these cultures and their worries.

[@justincastillogayray]

All of these languages need to be preserved in library textbooks. Keep duplicates somewhere safe and secret like a bunker. I mean, remember how the Navajo language saved America?

[@EnigmaticLucas]

jacob f Look up the Navajo Code Talkers. They helped us a lot in WWII.

[@TheKevinGee]

The Navajo PEOPLE, not just the language.

[@BaraJFDA]

Yea at first USA (especially the military) tried to assimilate Indigenous speakers and torture them if they resisted. But conveniently they "found use" for Indigenous speakers during the world wars and spared their tribes from outright elimination. The Diné or Navajo people were not the only Indigenous Code Talkers. There were also Cherokee and Choctaw Code Talkers during the first world war. Then there were the Assiniboine, Comanche, Cree, Mekwaki, Mohawk, Muskogee, and Tlingit Code Talkers.

[@thomasmoch8111]

@@BaraJFDA respect, man ✊

[@MsMoses-hs5cz]

I’m so happy for them that they know the importance of their language. Inherited traditions like ceremonies and clothing are just as important to the revitalization of their people.

[@SeareanMoon]

so is ending the ongoing #indigenous #genocide...there are no innocent bystanders...

[@alaskasfinest726]

Thank you VICE this touched my heart to see a video like this. I was born 1989 in Fairbanks, AK. Lived in Venetie(small village along the Chandalar river)It’s been 22 years since I’ve seen my mom in person. So a video with Athabaskan elders trying to save our language is the greatest!!! Just to hear them speaking is awesome and I wish I knew more of my language. I’ve picked up a few words in his video. Thank you again

[@gia9551]

This is the state of the ‘dialects’ in Italy or will be in the next 10 years. They are individual cultural languages that standard Italian is derived from. It’s sad. My family’s language is so different from standard Italian and it’s slowly dying

[@sheeeitmayn4384]

So proud to be an Alaskan.

[@dannyy3438]

Things like these breaks my heart. A language is a big part of culture and when a language dies its culture eventually goes as well. I hope all these indigenous language are learned and spoken fluently again ❤️

[@gustavogoikoetxea4524]

❤️ don’t let it die!!

[@BigKarl519]

@Soturian kwaa.

[@fuzzydeborah]

Thank you for taking the time to hear Alaskans.

[@SeattleSlots]

This is also a problem of the native tribes in Washington surrounding seattle....

[@ryangardner7223]

I know Joan personally and have had the pleasure to work with her in another capacity. Extremely honored to be graced by her presence.

[@831mrscardoso]

it's sad that this country has killed off all these beautiful languages

[@BlueJohnXD]

@Soturian Indigenous languages didn't "naturally" go extinct. They did so because the European colonisers forced the indigenous people to stop speaking their language, and speak English/French/Spanish etc instead. There is nothing natural or evolving about it, it is and was simply a violent attack on indigenous cultures.

[@BlueJohnXD]

Soturian it doesn’t overlook basic linguistics. Indigenous peoples being forbidden to speak their own language and instead another being forced upon them is the root cause for the extinction of most indigenous languages, and the endangerment the ones that remain are currently in. You cannot say after centuries of colonisation, it was a mere “natural process”. Again, nothing natural about it. It was and still is a violent attack on indigenous cultures. If they were left to their own devices as they should have been, it is highly likely that many of the languages now extinct, and those that are critically endangered, would still be spoken today.

[@Trgn]

Languages? Entire ethnics and cultures went completely extinct, wiped from exitence as part of systematic genocide.

[@BaraIsrael]

people talking about white genoside while this happens

[@kowvideogameluver42]

@Jane Doe Square dancing came from England lmao

[@kowvideogameluver42]

@Jane Doe A very likely story.

[@nice2835]

Jane Doe it likely came with the prospectors is my guess, in the 1900s. That and the rural feel that Alaska can have at times.

[@nice2835]

Jane Doe honestly though that’s actually probably a really interesting question. @VICE news care to check out how the phenomenon of square dancing spread? I’m sure there’s an NPR segment on it somewhere

[@nemesiszer0708]

Ikr

[@noam1879]

Im sad i cant do anything, but as a hebrew speaker i belive every language can revive, we cant change the past but we can change the future.

[@CaptainCaterpillars]

This was a very well done video. It broke my heart to hear that their language is being lost. I grew up in Hawaii and the Hawaiian language is being taught in school up till high school. But even in high school, there are tons of Hawaiian classes to take from hula, agriculture, marine studies, history, & so on. This has helped to revamp the Hawaiian culture that has been dying for so many centuries.

[@fuzzydeborah]

I am from Alaska and lived in Hawaii. Hawaii has -seemingly- done such a good job to preserve it's language and culture. Alaska needs to work on it. You rarely hear people speak in an Alaskan language these days.

[@connorm1181]

At 5:32 when Myra Thumma said it makes her very happy when kids say things like 'how are you' because "there is a part of them that belongs to them" was such an emotionally powerful and humbling thing to hear. I truly hope for future peace and successful resilience of all indigenous cultures, languages, rights to land , and right to self-govern. Love from NY

[@sonievkay]

it the language is available online, i would absolutely learn it.

[@sonievkay]

jacob f why not?

[@sonievkay]

jacob f there are many reasons and to learn. not just being able to talk to 3000 people. my choices does not concern you so, whats it to you what i learn?

[@sonievkay]

jacob f so tell me why im lying

[@sonievkay]

jacob f u making asumptions about how i feel is funny. what make u so sure u know which language I knew existed or not? u dont even know me, lol. stop trolling and sounding like a sexist.

[@sonievkay]

jacob f u trying hard to get a reaction from me, eh. all this time i thought i was typing to a narrow-minded, sexist but i see ur also a racist. Also, china isnt the only country in asia so, if ur going to label someone....try using ur brain and make an intelligent geuss, other then calling every asian chinese.

[@redman4233]

I just wanted to say that I speak Navajo and I can clearly understand what they are saying and probably or maybe communicate with them it's very similar to our language, could be related like the Athabaskans

[@haileyh2761]

all in the na-dene language family, the mutual intelligibility is pretty interesting

[@I0goose0I]

I think it's harder to revive a language when cultures like mine, Tlingit, are like so many where our language, the land, our songs and material objects with our history are all connected and we can't have just one. We can't just save our language. If we just save the language, people won't know how to preform a task in that language, having never done it. Tlingit is a language that comes from the land, and our neck of the woods is along the coast. We have no water sports and very few traditional watercraft. We can't be more connected unless all of us are brining up our kids in our language on the land with so much of our old ways. Gunalchéesh tléin for this episode, there's lots of people doing good work and there's a lot of people gatekeeping language and knowledge just so they can be the one who's brining it to you.

[@NCM_Enjoyer]

As an irish language speaker I'm so happy to see other indigenous groups struggling to revive their language as well

[@b0r00uw]

That’s not something to happy about…

[@hondajohn6948]

Loss of language is so sad, when you lose the language you lose the culture. As an Italian American it’s so sad to see kids that don’t know what being Italian is, don’t know culture or the language is they just know what being American Italians is.

[@francescoody4993]

It's very complicated being American. The young people you speak of Are American Italians. In a country that is not your native one there must be assimilation. But you can teach them about " the old country ", as my Greek grandfather used to say. Especially the language.

[@Ketenkrad96]

Then dont live in usa if you wanna be italian. OFC they dont know, cuz they arent italians anymore, their parents may have been, but the kids aren´t.

[@KeanuG95]

My roots lay in the moluccan islands. Before colonisation and indonesia taking over they spoke a language what kinda sounds like hawaiian and maori-ish. Same as other cultures, they weren’t allowed to speak it.The language hasn’t died out yet, but only a few people still speak it.

[@firstlast2602]

what's the language? you should also mention the languages so that people could take interest in the language and document it digitally or physically. Jangan Hilang Bahasanya (Don't lose The Language)

[@kytastrophe-]

My grandmothers spoke the Lower Tanana Athabascan dialect in interior Alaska (Nenana and Minto). I wish I had spent more time with them and learned the language, however my Grandma Hester John Evan did a lot of work with UAF in documenting the language and local medicinal herb knowledge. I'm currently trying to pull together everything she and her sister (Grandma Celia John Peterson) did...they both passed before I was an adult--finding the audio of their interviews made me burst into tears as I thought I'd never hear them speak again. I'm hoping to send the information to my sister and cousins, as well as make sure TCC and Doyon are aware of the knowledge. Rest in Peace, Grandmothers...we miss you and will do our best to make sure your culture doesn't end with our generation. I

[@nani5987]

When Indians lost their religion no one bothered..... Now their language is set to enter history books...

[@gauravthorat6497]

Why r u saying these

[@goldshadow534]

This program is meant to record their language for the history books. It will be preserved in libraries

[@studymail5946]

Even in india minority ethnic are about to get extinct and some are extinct. What religion are you talking about tho ?

[@sujaireddy4311]

​@@studymail5946he is referring to Amerindians AKA indigenous people of the Americas whom Christopher Columbus mistakenly called Indians.

[@Rabaru]

I hope that more places where indigenous people live, from Australia to the Americas, people will pick up the languages spoken there before colonization. Preservation of one’s language empowers the individual.

[@fullmetaljoker666]

As a member of the Eyak tribe we also struggle with this. The last native speaker died in 2008. I unfortunately did not grow up speaking the language and was only able to say a few words, even though I grew up in my native village.

[@jimmymartinez1892]

So many beautiful languages lost due to idiocy and tyranny and it's saddening that the world has lost so much already. I can only hope that what is left will flourish once more.

[@sandhanam8789]

I love inupiaq I am very interested in learning it love from India ❤

[@readisgooddewaterkant7890]

Cool

[@hineawe]

keep fighting the fight to take back what was taken, kia kaha ❤️

[@jumblack7684]

I was named after a fish from my mom's village. In Alaska. I only know a few words. In Alaska exspecially it is difficult to preserve the language when the villages are scattered and low population. Preserving a language even in text form is important in a world that came to conquer and left a dying culture.

[@jumblack7684]

@@phillylove7290 I'm talking about the video and individuals making written dictionaries in modern times.

[@jumblack7684]

@Agent Orange I didn't say I wasn't white though. I'm more Irish than anything else.

[@fuzzydeborah]

@Agent Orange there are white Alaskans with native heritage 🤦‍♀️

[@gracehodson-gilmore7453]

I don't care who they are or who they think they are, no one has the right to tell people not to be who they are. I was so upset when I found that the Gwich'in, amongst so many others, almost lost not only their language, but their whole entire culture and heritage because people told them "you are not allowed to be who you are, you are not allowed to speak how you speak or do what you do. You will learn our way and only our way, or you will be punished or die". That is not on people!!!! It is great to see the Gwich'in nation striving to regain what is rightfully theirs which was wrongly taken from them. Good luck in the future guys. Hope your language and culture strive once more as it did long ago.

[@antonioleto991]

we need to do this in Sicily with sicilian

[@gequitz]

Man it's sad to think how so many ancestral languages have been taken. I'm glad the Gwich'in are doing something about that.

[@ezrasleet2028]

I hope that the pandemic hasn’t taken the lives of these beautiful people but knowing how it has been handled I doubt many of them have survived. I hope that they’ve been able to get their work out there and finish this to pass it on since most of them are so old. I hope more steps like this are taken in the future for the rarer languages. All so unique and full of culture, most dying out because of the history of how we treated the speakers. It’s awful, but we’ll right the wrongs of our ancestors. Protect the indigenous hunting rights, their languages, and most of all their land and religious practice for the younger generations. I hope that it will extend caring about their quality of life when living on reservations as many youth are learning about them who aren’t indigenous, and recognize change needs to come and it needs to come now. Thanks to the upsides of certain platforms (tiktok and KZbin mostly) we can learn to advocate for them, but most importantly with them. Bring awareness to the ongoing genocide of indigenous women and peoples. Please if you have the time, at least talk to your friends and family and have them look into MMIWG. Bringing awareness about issues is one of the best ways to help. It leads to organizing and fighting for change. The same goes for BLM.

[@Tejah]

What a valuable treasure they are preserving.

[@FalconsEye58094]

Hawaii native language was threatened a while back but they’ve resurrected it

[@colbyw3575]

I went to elementary school in alaska, the culture present was an unforgettable experience and i miss it deeply, one of the most positive long term influences on me and my brain 😅

[@superunknown314159]

Glad to see this type of content being created

[@JohnSmith-td7hd]

It's interesting that probably the most valuable thing that Native Alaskans could offer the world is what the world told them to forget.

[@Jas0nH]

Alaska native here and this is the dumbest shit i've ever read. All native languages provide zero economic value, these people need to leave the villages asap.

[@asenseofsense]

We tried making everyone the same, when in reality our differences are what make us the same. Our families, our languages, our culture. We are different but one. Beautiful video.

[@deviafan3480]

Oh my goodness, I know some of these folks personally. Woah!! Grandma Irene!!!!

[@gdj777]

Teach the language to an AI.

[@YesterdaysWonderland]

Giovanny De Jesus right!!

[@gdj777]

@@phillylove7290 So if there is no system of grammer/records supporting it how will they keep it alive?

[@blueraspberrylemonade32]

If AI is inevitable, we need to make them invincible against the test of time to preserve knowledge, a book that would run from the wildfire and sail away during floods

[@ChrisHargrave23]

Check out 7000 Languages Project. It's a free languages learning site that crowdsources it's content. I worked with an AK native foundation out of Fairbanks to produce video language lessons for 4 different dialects and 7000.org played a big part in the project. Good stuff.

[@thephantomzoneboxing]

good for you wood repairing some of the damage your insecure demonic ancestors have done..

[@thephantomzoneboxing]

@jacob f see what i mean..

[@bluerose8255]

Even khoi language in southern africa is dying out and its the hardest language that mostly composed of clicks! NATIVE PEOPLE AROUND WORLD.♥️♥️♥️♥️

[@autobotdiva9268]

Its not. But thank u & its khoe. Its the N!uu that is on the list

[@Gunner77269]

It's pretty cool that they're recording all these languages. That's amazing anthropology, but make no mistake, the purpose is to record. Not to save them. If no one under 50 speaks the language then it's already dead.

[@tanyavolansky5042]

There can still be hope

[@jenisedai]

They're doing it so the kids can learn it, so it can be preserved by them speaking it.

[@Ketenkrad96]

There´s no point tho, it´s an absolutely useless language, instead of teaching them something that can be used in like two families they could teach tem ENG and ESP and youre basically capable of talking to the whole world.

[@premnatarajan7072]

I hope they succeed. I'm 14 but Gwich'in and Iñupiaq(as well as Inuktitut and Kalallisut-->Greenlandic) have intrigued me for a while

[@danirezaeva3934]

Love and support to you all))

[@paulitikox]

So proud of them

[@samueldunham6411]

I really want to show this video to my Alaska Studies class in Anchorage, but the suggested video that pops up at the end of this one (the one chosen by the makers, not suggested by KZbin) is something I could not risk flashing across the screen in a public high school. VICE News, please change that.

[@Seabass1206]

look what happened in south america

[@azure8696]

Exactly

[@MsEliteForever]

What happened?

[@azure8696]

@@MsEliteForever Gojira stomped through it.

[@jenisedai]

@@MsEliteForever Spanish colonization wiped out indigenous languages along with indigenous cultures.

[@kimmuller9960]

@@jenisedai arab colonization did the same in midel east . colonization is bad

[@eb.3764]

It needs to be in the domain of education and business life. If one can't conduct business in their language, they will have a hard time living

[@matthewrocco4138]

Thank you!!!!!

[@matthewmann8969]

They are still not completely gone

[@juice8431]

This country is huge

[@cjware316]

My girlfriend is a native from Alaska, Yup'ik to be exact. She is very fiery and emotional. Almost feral, but in a positive sense, if that makes any sense. Very appreciative to be hers considering how unique of a human she is. Beautiful, strong, independent and intelligent woman. Love ya Emily! 🙂

[@diouranke]

u made her sound like an animal

[@KhmerKandal]

Hoping that the new generation will continue to learn.

[@mr.sushi2221]

This is one reason I want to work on film restoration. To keep the past alive and educate the young. Not the same but similar

[@Pixelpro-uz9zg]

I have been into learning languages for a few years and I might have to put a native Alaskan language onto my list but I don’t know where to get the resources and I also wouldn’t have any use compared to my second and third (German and some Spanish) which are 2 of the larger languages compared to a nearly dead one, I lived in Alaska when I was younger and I never heard any other language than English and now looking back I am so disappointed that English has been dominating all other smaller languages, if anyone can help link me to other resources that can teach me this, it would be very much appreciated.

[@adam-edtorres2260]

Beautiful language, it reminds me a bit of the Diné I heard in Arizona years ago.

[@suzannerexford488]

Beautiful

[@maxzorin9425]

Language exists and evolves for reasons of practicality, to effectively communicate. Too many people look at culture through a sentimental lens, sentimentality has no place. If your culture is important to you, you will adopt it and inculcate it into your life. If it is not, you will not. It is a personal choice. I am not advocating for any point of view, other than the one that says people make decisions, and live with the benefits and the consequences. I would support teaching of local languages in local schools. But your country, and mine, like most countries, need to spend more on education and less on the military.

[@CRVA03]

Everyone gangsta till people start speaking english

[@KurdForever]

The same is happening with Kurds, in Turkey many new Kurdish generations feel like a Turk, not a Kurd anymore, which is sad.

[@evangelinejohn9993]

Yaw^ko this makes me sooo happy🙌✨💗✨

[@KpopNiDontStop]

Whats crazy is this is basically a native Asian language of America.

[@dreadpiraterobertsii4420]

Eh... no

[@iakadayrneh]

No it's an indigenous language it evolved in the Americas.

[@angrysocialist1553]

Such a shame that our racist leaders tried killing these beautiful languages.

[@saurabhraj19]

It was a part of conquest, the colonials tried it and ruled half of the world by these tactics, the king's did this too in the old days they would try to kill the culture and language of places they conquered that way people lose their identity and voila 2-3 generation down the line nobody remembers. Such a shame but at least people are now taking proactive steps to preserve their heritage and people are now proud of their culture

[@dreadpiraterobertsii4420]

Beat and subdue same in Ireland same in Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Africa America Australia then take the fertile land

[@NcxX-c8f]

This is a cornerstone of colonialism, no matter who the invaders are. We are fortunate to be at a point where we can acknowledge the crimes committed and work to reverse at least some of the damage.

[@redacted7060]

Manifest destiny is the american version of Lebensraum

[@garrison9595]

I loved it, try understanding language, and like more of it. . .

[@SK-zi3sr]

Unfortunately yea most Australian indigenous languages are nearly extinct

[@lopezfielitz]

From german dialects to native american languages, all are dying. I'd love to speak Mapuzungun or Quechua

[@eksbocks9438]

From my perspective: Learning languages is easy, when you start with the phrases you will actually use first. But it's smart of them to make a dictionary too. Anything to preserve the language.

[@BigKarl519]

mahsi' choo Vice.

[@pwzone3132]

I can’t say that Belarusian is dying language but not so many people speak it. So, as a belarusian who lives in Russia, I started to learn it

[@jokotri2186]

Not to brag or anything but in Indonesia you cross a state you hear new language, you cross an island you hear another language, hell even just crossing a county you could find another language.. Just saying

[@someanimation6807]

Kinda similar to my language and we are migrated from Siberia to central many many years ago😀

[@MadGunny]

What language if you don’t mind me asking? I used to study Ket which is an interesting, nearly threatened language from Siberia. I’m always interested in the linguistic history of that region.

[@someanimation6807]

@@MadGunny kyrgyz language which is turkic language

[@someanimation6807]

@CuriousGolden if its not related how come I am able to understand some of the words

[@mattiegonzalez2817]

I think what Paul Williams says at 3:44 is gonna stick with me a long time, it contextualizes the issue of cultural preservation and colonialism so well. "We became theirs, you know. They said 'our natives.' I didn't like that word. It hurt me. Hurt me real bad." Really makes you consider the flaws in understanding someone or something as simply being tied to a place, rather than a place and a cultural context in time and in human life that's greater than a border. In this case, being defined as native is something objectifying and othering for Paul and for the Gwich'in, simply because it's a way of stripping down the uniqueness and sovereignty of being Gwich'in and replacing it with a new idea and dichotomy that's not theirs. Calling someone "native" is in some senses reducing them to ties to a place rather than understanding them as their own people with their own ties to their home and the world around them, even if it's well meaning. I don't think anyone intends to be reductive or offensive in calling a person "native", many people even self-identify with the word, but these people have their own names and their own stories and words to use, and I think everyone should be able to have that. I hope the Gwich'in and all other American Indians/"Native Americans", and all other people around the world with cultures in danger of disappearing, the best in saving their language and their identity. Much love from a mixed white/Latino from Lenapehoking

[@repairdrive]

5:55 homeboy had on a Redskins hat??? What the hell?! Lol

[@ga-america5030]

👀🤣

[@KDH-br6hy]

Its Pride

[@joelandrew9688]

Jealous?

[@gagechelsea1796]

The 500 number is most likely wrong.. each language also had multiple dialects

[@mastersonogashira1796]

Now see this is way better than that book club shit

[@gardengnome6518]

So many languages are dying and with it so many cultures. Globalization can be a good thing but it has also erased so many beautiful cultures and have disconnected so many people at the same time

[@TheAlkochef]

Sheeeit... Denmark did the same to Greenland.

[@2557carla]

Gwichin is related to Navajo language.

[@MadGunny]

It might be. If the Dene - Yeniseian hypothesis is true, then some remote Siberian Inuit languages would be related to Navajo as well. Pretty wild. A lot of linguists aren’t sold on that however. I had a brilliant linguistics professor who dosnt believe they are related.

[@riccohall79]

It is very good when positive actions are started and completed to help people, the Earth, and/or other natural life. It is very important victims experiences are told and remembered. A primary reason it's important is because from victims past experiences people with the resources and other power to make the future better for current, past, or future victims know who, what, when, where, and why their focus should be. Hopefully, there will be a day all people with the resources and other power to make the many changes the world needs use the resources and other power to make the needed changes. Currently, many people needed for resources, etc. are not helping as they should and/or can.

[@Monksees]

i wanna learn

[@MarkBlackMigo]

Why were the americans so bad to them, us Danes at least let the greenland folks speak their language.

[@eksbocks9438]

4:37 They're going to have to do the same thing people in Europe did. Kids learn the family language at home. Then they go to school, to learn English.

[@samuelboles8566]

Why can't we find those people that were teaching and abusing these children for speaking their language their own beautiful language can you believe how disgusting that is I think we need to go and find everyone of those people that are grown adults now we need to go to them and we need to go to the people that were in charge back then and where the hell are they and how come they haven't been tracked down and punished and I mean punished how can these people weren't tracked down and dealt with publicly humiliated and tied to a polewhere are the men the politicians the legislators that ordered this action where are those men right now where are those men and women right now where are they the men and women that were in charge of these places that ordered these actions where are they we need to find them they are guilty

[@jonathanwilliams1065]

We talk about how great diversity is when talking about immigration but we ignore the diversity to be found in our own land that doesn’t exist anywhere else

[@studymail5946]

If the children are not taught their native tongues it’s difficult in old age because of intersction from other cultures. Should hsve spoken their languages in their home atleast