Indigenous Languages - Tumblr Posts
To further augment the chances of literacy among the blind & purblind, shan't we also work towards encouraging the making & availability of resources in the languages' versions of braille? After all, literacy isn't necessarily a negative thing to encourage & can help open many ways for the better. One little known thing about Native Australians is that some of the groups used message sticks quite like scrolls or a kind of writing (similar to the wampum belts among the Haudenosaunee, the Khipu among the Inca & the Suzhou numerals in China, to name several).
LITERACY IS FREEDOM!
Cultural Preservation: Revitalizing Indigenous Languages, Traditions, and Art
Shaina Tranquilino
October 6, 2023
Illustration by Tehatsistahawi Kennedy
The diversity of cultures around the world is a testament to the richness of human history. However, globalization and modernization have posed significant challenges to Indigenous communities, threatening their languages, traditions, and art forms. Recognizing the importance of preserving cultural heritage, initiatives are now underway worldwide to revitalize and safeguard these invaluable aspects of Indigenous identity. In this blog post, we will explore some remarkable efforts being made to preserve and revitalize indigenous languages, traditions, and art.
Preserving Indigenous Languages:
Indigenous languages are not merely a means of communication; they embody unique perspectives on the natural environment, spirituality, and social relationships. Unfortunately, many Indigenous languages have become endangered or extinct due to historical oppression or lack of resources for transmission. Nonetheless, dedicated individuals and organizations are working tirelessly to reverse this trend.
One approach involves documenting endangered languages through linguistic research projects. These initiatives aim to create comprehensive dictionaries, grammatical guides, and online databases that serve as valuable resources for language revitalization efforts. Additionally, immersion programs in schools and community centres help young people acquire their traditional language skills while cultivating pride in their cultural heritage.
Revitalizing Traditional Traditions:
Indigenous traditions encompass a wide range of practices including rituals, dances, ceremonies, storytelling, craftsmanship, healing techniques, and more. Preserving these customs not only maintains connections with ancestral knowledge but also contributes to community cohesion and well-being.
Numerous cultural preservation programs endeavour to revive traditional practices by bringing together elders and younger generations. Elders share their wisdom with youngsters through mentorship programs or intergenerational gatherings where stories are told and life lessons are imparted. By actively involving youth in learning traditional arts such as pottery making or beadwork, these initiatives ensure that ancient crafts continue thriving alongside contemporary culture.
Supporting Indigenous Art:
Art has always played a vital role in expressing diverse cultures' narratives and worldviews. Indigenous art, with its distinct aesthetics and symbolism, serves as a powerful medium for cultural preservation. However, the commercialization of indigenous art has often resulted in appropriation or exploitation.
To address these issues, organizations are working closely with Indigenous artists to promote ethical practices and protect their intellectual property rights. Artisans are given opportunities to showcase their work through exhibitions, galleries, and online platforms, ensuring that they receive fair compensation for their creations. Furthermore, collaborations between Indigenous artists and art schools foster intercultural exchange while providing resources for skill development.
Preserving indigenous languages, traditions, and art is an ongoing journey that requires collective efforts from individuals, communities, governments, and global organizations. By valuing the significance of cultural heritage beyond its aesthetic appeal, we can ensure the survival and revitalization of invaluable aspects of Indigenous identity.
Through initiatives aiming to document endangered languages, revive traditional practices via intergenerational knowledge transfer programs, and support Indigenous artists ethically – the path towards preserving cultural diversity becomes clearer. As we celebrate these remarkable efforts worldwide, let us remember that cultural preservation is not just a responsibility but also an opportunity to learn from diverse perspectives and enrich our collective human experience.
Tytöt mennäh ńäppizil, brihat kobračal.
ńäpit fingers kobru palm (hand)
Masturbation words in Olonets Karelian.
Descriptive verbs : Slow movement in Olonets Karelian
Muga kui toizisgi suomelas-ugrilazis kielis, on karjalas äijän kuvailijua verbii. Täh postavukseh olen kerännyh hiĺĺazua liikkumistu kuvailijoi verbilöi.
Like other Finno-Ugric languages, Karelian has many descriptive verbs. In this post I've gathered some verbs that describe slow movement.
VERB LIST
to sneak, to move quietly and slowly hiivuo, hiidrie, hiibiä, hispua, hydrie, ĺiivie, vizeröittiä, hidvelöittiä
to sneak in secretly ńulata
to slouch hizistä, hizajua
to move slowly in one's own pace kuďvelehtua, kublelua, käpettiä
to move laboredly and slowly kidžaittua, hyzelöittiä, elvie
to move cumbersomely höńťittiä, kömpiköijä, köbistä, köńťitä, kömssiä, käpyldiä, kämitä, kömitä, käńńitä
to move complicated or windingly (eg. in zigzag) vidveröittiä
to stagger, to move unstably kötteröittiä
to slack off, to move lazily or time-wastingly hydelehtiä, hydelöittiä, kupettua, taglastua, nojelehtua, sevaija, čoksua, töllöillä
to go on all fours (of eg. a toddler) löššie, löššittiä, rybie, ryvissä, ryödiä, mammerehtua
EXAMPLE SENTENCES
Kondii peril kublelou. Bear moves slowly out in the back. Reboi hidvelöittäy nenä muas. A fox moves quietly with its nose on the ground. Jänöi vidveröittäy konzu kunnepäi. The rabbit jumps about here and there. Kaži händiä vizeröittäy. The cat moves its tail slowly. Vahnu hebo mennä kidžaittau dorogua myö. An old horse slowly slouches along the road. Kažinpoigu jo käńńiöy astuu. The kitten already takes little steps. Lapsi kämpiöy pordahie myö. The child clumsily climbs the stairs. Lapset rybietäh lattiel polvilleh. The children walk on all fours on the floor. Lapsi bobazil elostau da mammerehtau. The child plays with toes and walks on all fours. Humalniekku muadu myö rybižöy. A drunk person crawls on all fours on the floor.
Kägöi
Pajuo vie täs kirjutettavua Äijygo, sano, Kägöi, iel on? Linnas minul eliä vai tagamual, Kivenny vai tiähtenny olla roih, vie roih.
Päiväine, minuh kačahtai vai, Käit minun ičessäh kobristutah, Vai porohua ollou, sytytä net, net kai. Kenbo tulou yksinästy jälgie myö,
Vägevät da rohkiembat piät omat pandih Toras, kai hyö. Vähä kedä jäi, ken kesti loppussah, Tervehen jäi, ei säristä käit täl mual, Тäl mual.
Päiväine, minuh kačahtai vai, Käit minun ičessäh kobristutah, Vai porohua ollou, sytytä net, net kai. Kusbo nygöi olet, oma valdaine, Kenenkebo sit huondestu jo vastuat, Sanot, vai et.
Sinunke on hyvä, paha sinuttah, Pletin alle puututin hardiet dai piän, Dai piän.
Päiväine, minuh kačahtai vai, Käit minun ičessäh kobristutah, Dai porohua ollou, sytytä net, net kai
Alguperäine pajo: Кино — Кукушка Kiändäi: Tatjana Baranova
Descriptive verbs : Fast movement in Olonets Karelian
Aijemba sanelin hiĺĺastu liikehty kuvailijoih verbilöih näh. Lövvät postavuksen tiä.
Earlier I wrote about verbs depicting slow movement. You will find the post here.
VERB LIST
to scurry, to storm in or out, to break into a run oijota, ojjendua, punalduo, šivetä
to lunge yrgävyö, yrrästyö, uattua
to start going faster ruojeta
to run about, to go fast sťoklata, ryntytä, ryńťitä, kettiä, hańńattua, šahrata, viďmuilla
to move quickly and lightly pirpettiä ~ birbettiä, bizbettiä
to move with long steps harpie, harpata
to pace mytäksennellä
to gallop, to run on fours ńeĺĺuta, myttiä, mytyldiä
to rut (male animals); to run after women (men) uvehťie
to slide quickly (eg. along ice) karata
to flow excessively, to cascade buhńie
EXAMPLE SENTENCES
Oigoimmo dorogah. We scurried onto the road. Hebo ojjendui matkah. The horse broke into a trot. Lapset pihale punaldettih. The children rushed outside. Vihmu šibeńi. It started to rain.
Rozboińiekku yrgävyi minun piäle. The thief lunged at me. Koiru uatui miehen jalgah. The dog attacked the man's leg. Uatuimmo ruadoh. We got to work. ("We attacked work")
Hebo ńygi ohjaksie da ruogeńi juoksemah. The horse pulled on the reins and broke into a gallop.
Lapset pihal paĺĺahin jaloin sťoklatah. The children run around barefooted on the yard. Kačos, ken juosta hańńattau vastah! Look who's running to us! Kažit šahratah yöt. The cats run around at night. Midäbö sinä sie viďmuilet? What are you running around there for? Ketimmö pagoh. We ran away.
Hebo birbettäy ruagiedu. The horse quickly trots. Jänöi pihoi myö birbettäy. The rabbit quickly runs along the yards. Lapset juostah bizbetetäh kodih. The children skitter home.
Naine kävelöy harpiu dorogua myö. The woman walks along the road with long steps. Kunne mennyh harpannuh. Wherever (he's) stormed off to. Mies harppuau, ei jovva ńi pagizemah. The man walks busily, he doesn't have time to chat.
Hebo mytäksendelöy, eib ole jalgua ruagieh. The horse paces, it can't trot. ("It doesn't have legs for trotting.")
Lehmät ńeĺĺuttih kui uruat liäväs piästettyy. Having been left out from the cowhouse, the cows galloped around like madmen. Kondii lyhyzil jalloil mytyldäy. The bear walks with its short legs.
Lapset karatah hurahtetah jiäl. The children slide along the ice.
Briha yöt päivät uvehťiu. The boy runs after girls day and night.
Vetty tulou buhńiu joves ihan kui. The river is flooding with water. Enämbiä et buhńi! Stop hustling! (Don't hustle more!)
Descriptive verbs : Speech in Olonets Karelian
to talk trivially, to waffle nonsense vätškiä, väńčöttiä, vožĺata, viĺčottua, tarbuo, tallata, šöhlätä, mällätä, blažie, melie, lorpottua
to keep talking, to waffle on böböttiä, pöpöttiä, pärpättyä, papattua, bubettua, pupettua
to talk indirectly, to beat around the bush viguroija, tabailla, punelehtua, poverkoija, priťehköijä
to insult čällätä, ńimitellä, ńokata, šahńie, treťťuija, rugaija
to talk unclearly mählätä, häglätä, šäglätä, mäkeldiä, häkäldiä, šäkäldiä, väglättiä, tallata, ńäńńättiä, tolmuaččie, šäblättiä, šäpettiä, šäkšättiä
to stutter mykettiä, ekettiä, ykettiä, ököttiä, nakaštua, ängyrdyä
to talk stiffly duokata
to talk rarely duokkanoija
to talk hoarsely rompottua, röglöttyä
to start talking or laughing loudly rehistyö, rehevyö
to talk with a lot of Finnish influence suomendua, ruoččindua
EXAMPLE SENTENCES
Talking nonsense
Hänen kel ei sua ńi mih luaduh luaďiekseh, häi ainos vätškäy. One can't get anything done with him, he's always waffling nonsense.
Mene iäreh vätškämäs tyhjiä. Go away with your empty talks.
Vožĺuau pagizou, kai syllet suus pakkuu. He's all talk, just spit dropping from his mouth.
Vožĺai pagizi, ńi padah pandavua ei ole. Talked emptily, nothing to put into the pot (nothing concrete).
Vai tyhjiä viĺčottau. Keeps waffling nonsense.
Tarbou midä puuttuu. Speaks rubbish.
Beating around the bush
Viguroiččou vai, ei kohti sano. Keeps beating around the bust, won't say directly.
Insulting
Hyö toine tostu kaikekse čällättih. They kept calling one another all sorts of names.
Sanoi šahńi. Insulted; said very meanly.
Sanal ńokkai. Insulted (pecked with a word).
Talking unclearly
Pagizi čälläi, ei suannuh ellendiä ńimidä. Slurred, one couldn't understand anything.
Midäliene tolmuači, en ellendännyh. Waffled god-knows-what, I didn't understand.
Pehmiel kielel talluau. Speaks unclearly (lit. treads with a soft tongue)
Šäblätti kuda midägi putilleh ńi ellendännyh en. Waffled something I didn't understand.
Mykettäjen pagizou. Speaks with a stutter.
Misc
Pagizou rompottau köräkäl iänel. He speaks with a hoarse voice.
Veseldyi da rehistyi pagizemah. Got drunk and started to speak with a loud voice.
Kieldy suomendau. Keeps mixing Finnish into one's speech.
Ča Ča Ča
Vot mittuine nedäli da päivät tagan, ah Interessannu pina colada da linna Ildu on vie nuori da aigua kumata Jiähine ulgokuori on aigu tuhota
Pien kahtel käil kiini juomizis muga Ča ča ča ča ča ča ča ei En smieti huondestu ku tartun kruuškah muga Ča ča ča ča ča ča ča ei Tahton olla segazin da välly huolis muga Ča ča ča ča ča ča ča ei Da sit jatkan kuni en ni pyzy stuulas muga —
Eräs pina colada on jo tagan, ah Yhtelläh on vie ilve minul vagavu, jeah, jeah, je je jeah Ildu on vie nuori da aigua kumata Jiähine ulgokuori on aigu tuhota Parkiettu kuččuu minuu ku en ni ole lukus, ah Muga ča ča ča olen tulos, ah
Pien kahtel käil kiini juomizis muga Ča ča ča ča ča ča ča ei En smieti huondestu ku tartun kruuškah muga Ča ča ča ča ča ča ča ei Tahton olla segazin da välly huolis muga Ča ča ča ča ča ča ča ei Da sit jatkan kuni en ni pyzy stuulas muga vou
Da lähten pläššimäh Muga ča ča ča Ga en ni varua tädä muailmua a-haa Muga ča ča ča Ku valatan piälegi šampanskoil a-haa
Ča ča ča, vil'čusilmin jo kačon vai Da pagin sammaldau, ku tämä toine puoli minus vallan suau, a-haa Ča ča ča, en ni argen nenga piäze bauhumah En ni, ga nygöi pläšin vai nygöi pläšin vai Da lähten pläššimäh
Muga ča ča ča Ga en ni varua tädä muailmua a-haa Muga ča ča ča Ku valatan piälegi šampanskoil a-haa Muga ča ča ča Ča ča ča ča ča ča ča! Muga ča ča ča Ča ča ča ča ča ča ča! Ča ča ča ča ča ča ča!
Alguperäine pajo: Käärijä — Cha Cha Cha Kiändäi: lyricstranslate.com/liljankukka
Pagizou ku vetty myöte.
Speaks like along water. Speaks very fluently, smoothy.