The Prairie Island Indian Community in Minnesota is using a device first used by the military to preserve the Dakota language. The tribe is using three "phraselators" to record common Dakota words and phrases. Elder Curtis Campbell, one of the few remaining speakers on the reservation, is working with language teacher Wayne Wells to create a database for the hand-held device. The phraselator is being used by other tribes as they seek to preserve their languages. Thornton Media (www.ndnlanguage.com) is working with more than 60 tribes in the U.S. and Canada. Get the Story:
Recording and preserving the Dakota language (The Minneapolis Star Tribune 7/10)
pwlat Relevant Links:
Indigenous Language Institute - http://www.indigenous-language.org
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