The Indigenous Language Institute (ILI) has announced that it will be hosting a webinar series to support its language communities while COVID restrictions are still in place.
The first webinar will feature a presentation by Christi Belcourt nehiyaw apihtâwikosisâniskwêw (Cree Métis). The presentation will be approximately one hour with Q&A to follow.
TOPIC: Tâhtimiwewin – Intonation and the musicality of sound in Anishinaabemowin and Nehiyawewin, and evolving strategies within Indigenous language revitalization efforts
DATE: Wednesday, May 26, 2021
TIME: 7 AM Alaska/ 8 AM PST/ 9 AM MST/ 10 AM CST/ 11 noon EST
DURATION: Approximately 1.5 hours
PRESENTER: Christi Belcourt
Participants must register and pay $50 to secure their seats:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_FcP1syzhTyqL9slb3NoNIQ
Upon registering, participants will receive a confirmation email with a link to the webinar. This will be open to the first 400 registrants. Once those seats are filled registration will close.
PRESENTATION DESCRIPTION
In this presentation Christi will be sharing some of her initial observations on the study of intonation and the “musicality” of first language speakers’ speech patterns within Indigenous language learning that learners often overlook. While presenting images of speakers’ voices charted into musical scores, she will be discussing how the study of intonation along with the study of minor sounds not captured within writing systems may help learners in their desire to sound more like first language speakers. Her presentation will also cover her observations as a grassroots language learner on the current realities of various community based Indigenous language education initiatives and the importance of strategic approaches to language revitalization. Although she will be presenting her findings and observations based upon her experiences as a learner specifically within the context of Anishinaabemowin and Nehiyawewin, the information may also prove interesting and useful to language learners, educators, those involved in the ongoing development of evolving writing systems, and community organizers beginning or involved in the design of language revitalization programs.
