Words Big As the Screen

What an encouraging article. A big part of what my "research" is is the buy-in aspect of maintaining and using Yugtun here in our region. I appreciated reading this article in saying that, that Natives should be 'researching" for themselves and not just have outsiders speak for us.
I also appreciated the message that native languages are not just something, "incapable of expressing abstract thoughts" but should be used for things like "...educational advancement, economic achievement, and recognition beyond the village or reservation." I think a lot of people who don't "buy-into" the Yugtun language have been programmed to think these thoughts, that our language is "old" and from a long time ago. I have a tendancy to think that some people from my generation equate maintaining the language into living in the past. I would love for us to create a webpage, or a computer screen like the Hawaiians to have Yugtun words instead of English. I think that would be a way to kick the idea that Yugtun is old and used only for hunting and fishing (or whatever "village", "old") way that it's seen. I know this because I used to think that way too in high school and college. I used to think, "Why should I speak Yugtun when it sounds so glutter-y and rough?" For me, it's so much more than that. I still can't believe it took me such a long time to finally appreciate my language in the way that I do now. Thank God! (Can I say "God"?)