Nummetu Yadua - Our Language
Our language is an ancient one given to the People by the Creator, Numu Na'a.
It is used in all our People's song, prayers, and ceremonies. It is the language spoken by our ancestors and passed down through the generations.
Unfortunately it is in it's last stage of existence and in danger of becoming extinct. We are losing our fluent speakers at such a rapid rate that time is of the essence if we are to save our language from being lost forever.
Much or our traditional culture is tied in with the language. If we lose our language we lose our culture. If our culture is lost we cease to exist as a tribe, a people, and therefore we become assimilated. For how can we continue to exist as a tribe if there is no culture and tradition as a foundation?
It is important that we learn our language and speak it no matter how imperfect; until it becomes natural. Share it with others so that they may learn our culture and appreciate it. In this way we will help our People to live on through the language and never forget where we came from. Once a language is lost it is lost forever.
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of the 300 original native languages in North America, only 175 still exist today.
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125 of these are no longer learned by children.
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55 are spoken by 1 to 6 elders, when they die their language will disappear.
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without action only 20 languages will survive the next 50 years.
Source: Indigenous Language Institute
www.indigenous-language.org
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