Elder from Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe keeps language going

Monday, February 3, 2014  

Ralph Burns, an elder from the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe of Nevada, has kept the Paiute language alive for future generations.

Burns, 70, was shocked when he discovered that only 71 people on the reservation could speak Paiute. He developed an alphabet and course material for the language, which he taught to students on the reservation up until health problems set him back three years ago, The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.

Burns remains a fixture within the tribe and is recognized as a storyteller.

Get the Story:
Paiute elder rescues language near extinction (The Las Vegas Review-Journal 2/2)

Also Today:
The trials, trail of Northern Paiutes (The Las Vegas Review-Journal 2/2)