March 5, 2023
Sam Noble Museum Hosts the 20th Oklahoma Native American Youth Language Fair
A Native American youth language festival will celebrate its 20th anniversary in April. Originated in April 2003, the Oklahoma Native American Youth Language Fair hosted at Sam Noble Museum aims to bring Native peoples together from around the United States to revitalize and display the languages and cultures of Native Tribes. Participants of the fair, primarily students, are given the space to use their understanding of a language and share among their peers.
With fewer fluent Native American speakers present in America, the language fair hopes to give Native peoples the space to share their knowledge of a language and culture to revitalize and preserve those key elements of Native American tribes in America.
Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes Language and Culture Director Gordon Yellowman details the realities of the American Indian boarding schools for Native peoples.
“We [Native Americans] know the dark, deep past of what happened and the scars, mental and physical ones, that are still with us from the boarding school era. We [Natives] were not allowed to speak our language in these boarding schools. The boarding schools would punish those who spoke their native languages, which were the only language many knew, and forced to only speak English,” Yellowman said.
The language fair provides a time for Native Americans to gather and share the passions of their culture and language to the public, further pushing out the multitude of Native languages to the public. Additionally, the museum is working to help the nation’s tribes preserve their language.
Sam Noble Museum will host the language fair on April 3-4, 2023.
Assistant Language Curator and Professor Raina Heaton discusses the impact that the language fair had on attendees.
“I hope that the language fair serves as a good opportunity to build community for the Native tribes. Language work can be lonely. But then show up to the fair and see thousands of people who are interested in the same goals that you’re working towards and the similar struggles you face too,” Heaton said.
Osage Nation Language Department Director Braxton Redeagle illustrates Osage’s pursuit to publicly publish forms of educational language resources.
“Our children’s book, Coyote & the Bear, that has been published is free for download- for anyone and anywhere- in English and Osage language. We have published an online Osage dictionary, that continues to be updated and grow over time. The overall vision is to give out materials and language opportunities to the public at large, in their own time that are easy and accessible,” Redeagle said.
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