Attitudes Towards the Navajo Tribes Language and Culture Essay

In this day and age, and with every passing day, there are numerous languages succumbing to extinction, falling into disuse and anonymity; being forever lost to the winds of time. But as they say, "Every cloud has its silver lining," the silver lining in this case is the increase and rise in awareness and efforts being undertaken to preserve, revitalize, and revive these languages that are not yet lost to us. Something that is revitalized is defined as "being given new life or vigor to," and should we abide by this definition, it is pleasing to see that numerous fit in this criterion; the criteria of being revitalized. This is a report on the Navajo language. This report will explore how the Navajo language, once a prosperous language with thousands of speakers fell into decline and the efforts that are currently being undertaken to revitalize the language. The language is spoken by the Navajo tribe a tribe of approximately 300,048 people, 170,000+ of whom speak Navajo, who are loca ted in the Northeastern part of Arizona, the Northwestern part of New Mexico, and the Southeastern part Utah, all of whom are located in the USA. The years covered span from the decline of the language in the 1850's to our current time. The scope of the enquiry will range from the history of the Navajo, to the decline of the language, the efforts undertaken to revitalize the language, and its current usage. The thesis of this report is that an endangered language can be revitalized. The conclusion will therefore be that yes, an endangered language, one such as Navajo can be revitalized. The Navajo tribe is one of the largest Native American tribes in the United States. Originally from Canada, and descending from the Athabaskan tribes, they migrate... ... "NAVAJO." Austin Business Computers, Inc. Home Page. Navajo Tourism Department, 15 May 1999. Web. 12 Oct. 2011. . "The Navajo People." Oracle ThinkQuest. Library Think Quest. Web. 23 Oct. 2011. . "The Return of Navajo Boy." The Return of Navajo Boy. Web. 16 Nov. 2011. . Ruelas, Richard. "Navajo Film Reaches across Cultural Lines." Arizona Local News - Phoenix Arizona News - Phoenix Breaking News - Azcentral.com. The Arizona Republic, 08 Sept. 2007. Web. 27 Oct. 2011. . "UCLA Language Materials Project: Language Profile." UCLA Language Materials Project: Main. UCLA. Web. 23 Oct. 2011. .