The Smithsonian Institution has partnered with the University of Utah's Center for American Indian Languages for a language preservation project.

Lyle Campbell, the center's director, says most Native language are in danger of dying out. Of 175 in use, only 20 are being taught to younger generations.

The project supported by the Smithsonian focuses on the Shoshone language. Only about 2,200 people still use the language. Linguists will sort through 120 audio tapes of interviews, stories and other information made during the 1960s and 1970s.

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Smithsonian joins U. to log tribal languages (Deseret Morning News 1/17)