Leaders Address Importance Of Preserving Languages
Tuesday, December 08, 2009 at 12:19
A South Dakota chief who has dedicated his life to achieving peace spoke this morning at the First Nations Language Keepers conference in Saskatoon.
Chief Arvol Lookinghorse was only 12 years old when he was given the responsibility of becoming the 19th generation keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe.
Lookinghorse says his native tongue, Lakota, is an important part of who he is, as he spent a lot of time in ceremony while growing up.
“My heart was really fulfilled every day, learning through our ceremonies and the way we live. Even though we live on the reservation, our ways were outlawed until 1978, the Freedom of Religion Act. I never thought that I would be speaking outside the reservation, or away from our homeland,” he says.
Lookinghorse travels internationally, working for peace, freedom and healing.
He organized World Peace Day on June 21, and has met with other leaders who share his vision, such as the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu.
Meanwhile, a vice-chief of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations says there is hope for First Nations languages because of the people attending this year’s conference.
Dutch Lerat says there would be dire consequences if First Nations languages disappear.
“When a species, like our language, becomes extinct, a big part of Mother Nature dies. And the world is never the same, with a big void being created, and silence falls across the land, as the death of the species can not and will not be heard again,” Lerat says.
He feels this is unlikely to happen, because so many people are dedicated to the preservation of their languages.
Around 500 people are attending this year’s Language Keepers conference, which continues this afternoon and tomorrow.