Alaska Native Languages: Past, Present, and Future (1980)

Three papers (1978-80) written for the non-linguistic public about Alaska Native languages are combined here. The first is an introduction to the prehistory, history, present status, and future prospects of all Alaska Native languages, both Eskimo-Aleut and Athabaskan Indian. The second and third, presented as appendixes to the first, deal in greater depth with the future of all the languages and then with the past, present, and future of the Alaskan Indian languages. The main paper contains: a section devoted to Haida and Tsimshian; general prehistory of Eskimo-Aleut languages and of Athabaskan, Eyak, and Tlingit; notes on the present status of Tsimshian, Haida, and Tlingit, of Eyak, of the Athabaskan languages in general, of Aleut, and of Eskimo languages in general; and an overall assessment of the future for Alaska Native languages. The paper on the future of Alaska Native languages, looks at whether the future holds survival or extinction, the role of schools, bilingual education, and mass media in saving the languages, and community responsibility for cultural survival. The third paper, on Eskimo languages, discusses general status, government policy concerning language education and maintenance, and specific situations of Alutiiq, Central Alaskan Yupik, Siberian Yupik, and Inupiaq. (MSE)… (more)