Fairly early on this semester, we watched the documentary, American Tongues. In this film, I was exposed to an accent was unfamiliar with. I left the class still discussing the dialect and culture of the Appalachian region. The musical quality present in the accent of Cratis William, a folklorist interviewed in the film, enthralled me. Inspired by American Tongues, I searched online for more information about the Appalachian region and eventually found an excerpt from another documentary titled Mountain Talk. The excerpt from Mountain Talk goes into more detail on the particular facets of the language than the related section in American Tongues, but restates many of the same sentiments about the culture. It provides a variety of locals views on the dialect over time, how new words come to be, and the community as a whole. Even though the respective scenes were filmed years apart, it was interesting to see the persistence of cultural values in the region and the veneration of those standards.
The documentary discusses the language and life in a rural region of Appalachia.
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Both “The Legend of Qu’Appelle Valley” by E. Pauline Johnson and “Qu’Appelle” by David Bouchard retell the same First Nation’s legend but develop different voices throughout the use of stylized English, syntax and figurative language. The narratives follow similar timelines in which events occur, characters and theme of how the Qu'Appelle valley came to be. Writing in Shakespearean English rather than modern English is a stylized choice by Johnson which gives the overall story an academic voice and romanticizes the legend. For example, Johnson says, “I heard a voice speak tenderly my name… I answered; no reply” (Johnson, 5). In contrast, Bouchard employs an informal voice with the use of third and second person. This
“Burning Bright: The Language and Storytelling of Appalachia and the Poetry and Prose of Ron Rash.” Shepard University. 2011. The.
"Creole Materialities: Archaeological Explorations Of Hybridized Realities On A North American Plantation. " Journal of Historical Sociology 23.1 (2010): 16-39. Academic Search Complete. 27 Apr. 2014. The 'Standard' of the 'Standard'. Web.
to a native interpretation told through the oral tradition and a Native-American point of view, the
It is rare to find a book that is as informative as a textbook but reads as easy as a short story. But Keith H. Basso is successful in creating an interesting ethnography about the Western Apache culture by using two usually overlooked topics, geography and oral history. Geography and the location of places is usually forgotten or seen as just topography, but Basso proves that geography is more than a location. It is the forgotten history of the name of a place that makes the locality more important than it seems. While whitemen (a term frequented by the Apache to describe White European culture) has constantly renamed places for convenience and prove of colonization, Basso overturns this ignorant and offensive practice and attempts to understand and map the geography of Western Apache by using the original place-names. Therefore this paper will be an attempt to explore the "sense [sic] of place as a partake of cultures, of shared bodies of 'local knowledge' with which whole communities render their places meaningful and endow them with social importance" (Basso 1996:xiv). And from Basso's detailed accounts of interacting with the natives of Western Apache, I will also attempt to demonstrate the importance of spoken (oral) language in relating and learning about ancestral history.
In this day and age, and with every passing day, there are numerous languages succumbing to extinction, falling into disuse and anonymity; being forever lost to the winds of time. But as they say, "Every cloud has its silver lining," the silver lining in this case is the increase and rise in awareness and efforts being undertaken to preserve, revitalize, and revive these languages that are not yet lost to us. Something that is revitalized is defined as "being given new life or vigor to," and should we abide by this definition, it is pleasing to see that numerous fit in this criterion; the criteria of being revitalized. This is a report on the Navajo language. This report will explore how the Navajo language, once a prosperous language with thousands of speakers fell into decline and the efforts that are currently being undertaken to revitalize the language. The language is spoken by the Navajo tribe a tribe of approximately 300,048 people, 170,000+ of whom speak Navajo, who are located in the Northeastern part of Arizona, the Northwestern part of New Mexico, and the Southeastern part Utah, all of whom are located in the USA. The years covered span from the decline of the language in the 1850's to our current time. The scope of the enquiry will range from the history of the Navajo, to the decline of the language, the efforts undertaken to revitalize the language, and its current usage. The thesis of this report is that an endangered language can be revitalized. The conclusion will therefore be that yes, an endangered language, one such as Navajo can be revitalized.
For the Navajo, oral histories illuminate the way to uphold a fruitful, modern life. Unlike other native Athapaskan speaking groups, the Navajo are “exceptionally resilient” in the face of modernization through their high language retention (9). In preserving their language, the Navajo preserve the oral traditions that give them the “knowledge” to overcome the “manifestation of improper, disharmonious behavior” generated through Western influence (41). In retaining the knowledge given to them, the Navajo can use the social crisis of an epidemic and the political upheaval of relocation to reinforce understanding of Navajo values for both Navajo and non-Navajo alike. More comprehensively, through their traditional means of expressing grief and anger, the Navajo can fight injustices embroiled in the aftermath of uranium mining, and ultimately provide for the Navajo generations yet to come.
Native Americans have been fighting to keep their culture since the beginning of their contact with settlers in America. For this assignment, I watched the documentary, "Horse Tribe", and the documentary, "Language Healers". Both documentaries were made in 2014 and they both talked about different tribes trying to regain a sense of their culture. For the purposes of this assignment, I will analyze the different documentaries and assess the struggles that each group faced in their efforts to preserve their cultures.
Anecdotes - Throughout the paper MacNeil tells numerous anecdotes or stories. For example, in the first paragraph, MacNeil tells an anecdote about a young waitress on Columbus Avenue. When he and his wife sat in a restaurant and after come a young lady greets them with "How are you guys doing?" This helps convince the audience by showing cases of how MacNeil sees that dialect can be distinctive.
Before colonization, the Native Americans used oral traditions to teach, remember, entertain, and pray. Much of this knowledge was lost because of various reasons. After translation became an option some of these were written down. This is the beginning of Native American literature, the becoming of sound into word. A major pattern of distrust for the white man’s words are evident in this beginning of their literature.
Language and communication has always been a part of human nature, whether that be in the form of grunts and pictures or in spoken word. The Iroquois Constitution and the work of Jonathan Edwards are no different in this manner however the way in which they are written is contrasting. Throughout this essay I will show the similarities and differences between the two documents and compare the uses of figurative language between the two.
Andalzúa, Gloria. “How to Tame a Wild Tongue.” Encounters: Essays for Exploration and Inquiry. 2nd ed. Ed. Pat C. Hoy II and Robert DiYanni. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2000. 93-101.
Although printed American English is consistent throughout the nation, there are many distinguishable differences in the pronunciation of words in the spoken language, depending on the region of the country. Eastern New England has one of the most distinct American dialects. “The letter ‘R’ is often silent, and ‘A’ is normally pronounced ‘AH,’ so we get ‘Pahk the cah in Hahvuhd yahd’” (Delaney). Unlike Boston and additional urban pronunciations, New York City’s dialect doesn’t show much similarity to the other dialects of the area. New York City’s pronunciation is the most rejected and mocked of all the American dialects. “‘IR’ changes to ‘OI,’ but ‘OI’ becomes ‘IR,’ and ‘TH’ becomes ‘D’ as in ‘Dey sell tirlets on doity-doid street’(Dela...
Events in the Colonial Period have had great influences on our American Literature throughout the years. Starting with encounters and foundations in the 1800's, to Native American oral traditions. Myths, poems, and stories were told frequently around this time talking about culture, metamorphoses, and archetypes. Figurative language was given through the form of sermons while vivid Imagery was enhanced to show us the true emotions the speaker was giving. Ideas about virtue and self improvement were specified by rationalism which reflected on their beliefs. Important documents and speeches showed us connections between the main ideas, details, and purposes.
living on Long Island, that contribute to what others perceive as odd dialect. Its the culture that I