How do you rebuild a language that has been banned for years? A short video introduces high schoolers to Marie Wilcox, A Wukchumni Native American from Central California who, for over 20 years, worked on comprising a dictionary of the Wukchumni language. Young historians learn not about the policies behind enforced assimilation and language loss but also about the importance of preserving languages and cultural traditions.

Concepts

dictionaries, dictionary skills, identity, cultural traditions, native american culture, native american history, native americans, north american native americans

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Instructional Ideas

• Ask groups to create an infographic that details information about the tribe they researched: the location of the tribal lands, the name of the tribe, and the name of its language, and includes words with translations
• Present the lesson during November's Native American Heritage Month

Classroom Considerations

• Requires projection equipment with internet access for the video
• Class members need devices with internet access for their research

Pros

• Groups watch different films about the attempts of California tribes to revitalize their languages and cultures and report their findings to the class

Cons

• None

Common Core

SL.9-10.1.a SL.9-10.1.b SL.9-10.1.c SL.9-10.1.d SL.9-10.5 SL.11-12.1.a SL.11-12.1.b SL.11-12.1.c SL.11-12.1.d SL.11-12.5