Was sad to read this week that the last speaker of the Eyak language died in Alaska this week. Still, I reckon that reaching the age of 89 while being a chain smoker is some achievement, and she helped the local University compile a dictionary of Eyak in the faint hope that it would be resurrected one day.
Read the full story here.
On a personal note one of my Great Grandfathers went out to Hudson Bay for a few years and married an Inuit lady who he took back to the Isle of Lewis on his return, so I feel that I can sympathise with the loss of a Native American language.
Carrying on the smoking theme I also read about a bear that became a member of the Polish army in WW11. They trained it to carry mortar rounds for them and when they had to move from Iran to Italy the only way to take the bear with them was to enlist it.
When not supporting the Allie’s war effort the bear enjoyed a beer and a cigarette or playing tug of ware with his comrades, after the war the bear retired to Scotland where there a plans to raise a memorial to Voytek.
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4 comments:
Her picture shows that tenacity spoken about by her family.
I hope more is done to preserve native languages. It is important to the overall understanding of language and how language changes.
The bear: Funny! I think he deserves an honor. :)
Sad to lose these languages, but it was brilliant of her to work to document the language.
Cute story about the bear, and it sounds like the bear had a nice life.
Here's to gentler days when people weren't too uptight to have a good time.
I recently read a local story about a woman who is working with Rosetta Stone to create a program to teach Navajo. Unfortunately, it will still be restricted a classroom envirmonment but it's a start.
Did the bear switch to single malts and golf when he retired to Scotland?
rt, I concur, they are the oldest cultures that you have over there and need preserving.
The bear was a real star.
Phlegmmy, Sounded like one fiesty lady and good to know that the bear got a happy ending.
Lin, Given the bear's ability to adapt to new surroundings he probably did - and developed a taste for haggis.
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