CONOR KERR
The Gateway (University of Alberta)

EDMONTON (CUP) ”“ The idea of a language becoming extinct is a far-flung idea to most people, but on the Tsuu T’ina reserve just west of Calgary, it is reality.

With no fluent speakers of the Tsúùt’ìnà language under the age of 50, the language could be extinct within 20 to 30 years.

The Tsúùt’ìnà Gunaha project aims to preserve the Tsúùt’ìnà language and spark revitalization of the language within the community. Linguistic researchers from the University of Alberta are working with members of the Tsuu T’ina community to preserve the language.

In an effort to document it in action, researchers Sally Rice and Benjamin Tucker in the Department of Linguistics brought recording equipment to the Tsuu T’ina reserve and set up recording sessions that captured the language in normal conversation.

“Speaking the language is very different than just reading it,” Tucker said. “This gives us an opportunity to record exactly what they’re doing when speaking it.”

To make the language more accessible, the tapes are being converted into high-quality recordings. These recordings are then transferred onto DVDs, completing the digitization process. Over 500 hours of recorded daily conversations and stories from fluent Tsúùt’ìnà speakers are now archived and in the final steps of being digitized.

“The digitization adds potential for interest in the language; younger generations will even be able to listen to podcasts in Tsúùt’ìnà,” Tucker said.

“Younger generations will even be able to listen to podcasts in Tsúùt’ìnà.”
-Benjamin Tucker

Already, an interest in the Tsúùt’ìnà language revival is stirring within the reservation. Members from the community are coming to U of A to record Tsúùt’ìnà, get training in the digitization process or take courses based on language invigoration.

“When you have economy, politics, and community acceptance behind the revitalization it can make all the difference,” Tucker said.

The Tsuu T’ina community is behind the revitalization, providing all the funding for the digitization of the language. There is a strong movement in the community to create programs that will help Tsuu T’ina youth in learning the language. The Tsúùt’ìnà Gunaha project is one of these. The program hosts camps that allow children to immerse themselves in the culture, language and heritage of their ancestors. These camps provide a great way for younger generations to learn the language in an active and fun way.

On the Tsuu T’ina reserve, a language revival program has been incorporated into the schools. However, those certified to teach the language aren’t fluent speakers. This presents a huge challenge to the teachers, who are learning the language while teaching it.

“It’s like having a French teacher who’s not fluent in French,” Tucker added.

The interest in the community is strong, however. With the digitization in its final steps, teachers will have access to more material to draw from, for both their own learning and their children’s. In addition, members of the band trained in digitization and preservation will be able to continue documenting the language after the university is no longer involved.

“Part of the reason they’re doing the training is so they’ll be able to teach it themselves, and not just have some academic telling them how to do things,” Tucker said.

After the U of A is finished with its involvement, the projects put in place will continue. Moreover, with the communities’ involvement, revitalization could very well occur. Even if the language does not come back prominently, Tucker hinted that the digitization will leave all necessary aspects for revitalization in the future.