A group of 29 students recently completed a week-long college-level class on Cheyenne language reading and writing. Photo by Clara Caufield
Record attendance at Cheyenne language reading and writing class
By Clara Caufield
Native Sun News Correspondent
www.nsweekly.com LAME DEER, Mont –– Dr. Richard Littlebear, President of Chief Dull Knife College (CDKC), Northern Cheyenne, conducted a week long class teaching Cheyenne reading and writing. Twenty-nine students completed the week-long class for college credit. “While many, though not all, of the students in the class are fluent Cheyenne speakers, most must learn to read and write the language which has a different linguistic system than English,” Littlebear said. “The ability to read and write the language is critical for language preservation, a very important goal for our Cheyenne Nation and our future.” Littlebear,(Cheyenne name - Howling Bird), has been personally teaching the Cheyenne Language Reading and Writing class for many years, now elated that class has gradually seen increased enrollment, the most recent the largest to date. Under tribal and state law, Cheyenne language instructors must pass certain tests to become certified, which includes the ability to speak fluently and a high degree of ability to read and write the language, which has been preserved in written form in several dictionaries. “CDKC is very pleased at the growing interest among our people for Cheyenne language preservation,” Littlebear said. “It shows that there is still hope to preserve our language as one that is spoken on a daily basis within our community.”
Read the rest of the story on the all new Native Sun News website: Record attendance at Cheyenne language reading and writing class (Contact Clara Caufield (Teeth Woman) at acheyennevoice@gmail.com) Copyright permission Native Sun News
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