OU - Theses

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Open Access
Bible Translation and Language Renewal: A Collaborative Approach
(2016-05) Caudill, Josh; O'Neill, Sean; Sapien, Racquel; Palmer, Gus
Many indigenous languages face attrition globally as the languages of the West continue to grow in influence. As linguists and indigenous speech communities struggle to organize effective language programs, many languages become dormant, as no new speakers learn the language natively. Many communities face this reality as a result of the global and colonial forces of the twentieth century, including the effects of colonial evangelistic Christianity. An evaluation of these historical factors as well as contemporary issues in indigenous religious movements and developments in collaborative research indicates that an opportunity exists, in the translation of Bibles into indigenous languages, for indigenous communities to bring renewal to their languages by collaborating with linguists, anthropologists, and the Christian community. In communities in which indigenous forms of Christianity already exist, a translated Bible can serve as a significant point of access for community members interested in indigenous languages.
Open Access
Community-Based Archives, Museums and Language Revitalization: A Case Study From The Wichita And Affiliated Tribes In Anadarko, Oklahoma
(2018) Hodges, Sapphire; O'Neill, Sean; Sapien, Racquel; Haag, Marcia
The last fluent speaker of the Wichita language passed away in 2016. According to many common language vitality scales in linguistics, the Wichita language would be considered extinct. However, the discourse about this has been changing in the past decade or two. Languages like Wampanoag and Myaamia have been revitalized even though they no longer had living fluent speakers. It is even argued that these languages were not really extinct because there was significant documentation of the languages and a community of people whose ancestors spoke it. The Wichita language is in a similar situation. It may not be extinct because they have semi-speakers and language documentation in a new community archive. They also have several positive language ideologies that are conducive to revitalization. These were discovered when about 50 participants took surveys and the results are expounded on hereafter. The Wichita have already created community-based cultural programs such as their archive and a new museum, which could also be used as tools in language revitalization. With documentation, productive language ideologies, and community-based efforts, the tribe may still be able to revitalize their language.
Open Access
FROM PHENOMENOLOGY OF LANGUAGE TO A THEORY OF SOCIOLOGICAL PRAXIS: PERCEPTION, IDEOLOGY, AND MEANING IN MULTIMODAL LINGUISTIC DISCOURSE
(2016-05) Hov, Loren; O'Neill, Sean; Klein, Misha; Palmer, Gus
Linguistics has prioritized the auditory mode of transmission in language at the expense of written forms and their relevance to the social construction of meaning and identity. Due to the privilege of spoken language as the least-mediated form of symbolic expression, the significant role non-verbal linguistic communication plays in social life is often overlooked. Through the perspectives of cognitive and perceptual forms of epistemology, written forms of language can and do influence reception to non-verbal utterance in a socially significant manner. Ideologies of language predispose linguistic and anthropological research against considerations of written linguistic artifacts and their roles in constituting ascribed social meaning. Signed forms of utterance are constrained by standardization and grammaticality, which in turn iconize and erase written language variation. When written variation is intentionally produced, it creates perceptually derived, ideologically charged responses that affect social attitudes and discourses. I address the methods and foci of sociolinguistic research for their pertinence to non-spoken language. I then analyze variation in written language in the domains of audiovisual animated media and African American dialect literature to show how socially significant responses to written variation create stratification by constructing fictive speech classes which are indexed to real speech communities. This investigation aims to clarify how modes of language transmission share properties assumed to be domain-specific, as well as to warrant a reexamination of the phonocentric concept of language in linguistic anthropology. As written forms of language are central to digital media, traditional sociolinguistic research must account for the written word just as it does the spoken.
Open Access
IRO TŲWAHI WISAHMA NĄHA: THE SEVENTH GENERATION, UNDERSTANDING JIWERE LANGUAGE STATUS AND RECLAMATION THROUGH COMMUNITY INPUT
(2019-12) Goodson, Christina; Sapién, Racquel-María; O'Neill, Sean; Shotton, Heather
Although several scholars have focused their work on Jiwere (Otoe) and related dialects of Chiwere, no published descriptions have come directly from members of the speech community themselves. This lack of self-determination and autonomy of community members in research into the language has resulted in an incomplete view of the true language status. Classified as “dormant” since the passing of the last “fluent” speaker, Truman Washington Daily, in 1996, the language boasts a larger heritage community than has been reported to date. Furthermore, despite a current lack of first language speakers with whom to use the language, community members’ active interest and involvement in revitalization suggests a less bleak situation than was previously reported. This study uses survey data to present a more complete, community-driven picture of the language’s current status, and examines community members’ ideas about language, identity, motivation, investment, and achievement. Data come from a survey of and interviews with young Jiwere adults (18-30 years of age) about their relationship to the language, as well as from the Otoe-Missouria Tribal Historic Preservation Office's Community Cultural Interest Survey. The study found that community members believe that Jiwere identity is strongly tied to knowledge contained in the language, including clan descendancy, songs, and the ability to use the language itself. Since ability to use the language is tied to identity, community members would like language curriculum and pedagogical materials which help them connect with other learners in various contexts such as online classes, videos, and community classes focused on topics that encourage daily speech. Results suggest that, contrary to prior depictions of the language’s status, a more hopeful definition than “dormant” is appropriate. The study ties survey data to what is known about language and identity to argue for a more robust definition which includes community perspectives.
Open Access
Language Ideologies and Practices among University Learners of Native American Languages
(2016-05-14) Wilson, Michael; O'Neill, Sean; Sapién, Racquel-María; Klein, Misha; Palmer, Gus
This thesis examines language ideologies among university learners of Native American languages. Given that attitudes and beliefs toward these languages can have a direct impact on the learning process, recognizing ideologies present among students provides a means of contesting distorted views that perpetuate misconceptions and impede learning. A cursory glance of the language courses included in the research will be provided along with a description of the methodology employed in the study. Elucidating theoretical concepts driving the research, language ideologies will be examined to demonstrate ways in which they perpetuate inequality. Viewing the University of Oklahoma as a key ideological site, a historical sketch on language ideologies that have shaped federal government policies related to Native American languages will be presented. After establishing this context, data from the survey used for the present study will be revealed. In presenting the findings, language ideologies present in the university classroom will be identified, interpreted, and contested. The final chapter articulates the need to view Native American language learning as a human rights issue tied to larger efforts aimed at strengthening tribal communities through decolonization. In order to make this recognition, distorted views imbued with authority must be contested to promote an increased understanding of Native languages and the cultures they represent.
Open Access
Language Revitalization Through Pawnee Music
(2016) Moore, Taylor; Sapién, Racquel-Maria; Marshall, Kimberly; Palmer, Gus Jr
Pawnee music has always been a crucial component in the lives of the Pawnee people and have been a source of comfort to those who have needed it. Traditional songs give Pawnee people a sense of identity lacking because of the forced assimilation into mainstream American culture. Because of assimilation, the Pawnee language has suffered a great deal. Just two decades ago, fluent first language speakers still existed in the Pawnee tribe. Now, only a few second language speakers remain. As someone working in the language revitalization field, new and creative ways must be incorporated to preserve and teach the Pawnee language. My main focus in this thesis is Pawnee hymns however, this type of analysis can be used for different genres of Pawnee music. Pawnee hymns, once prominent in the church, began to become obsolete once song leaders began to pass away starting in the late 1980s. Soon, the only domains that the hymns were utilized in were wakes and funerals. This caused the Pawnee hymns to be associated with death, grief, and sadness. However, there has been a resurgence of Pawnee hymns. This can be attributed to a very small group of people that took it upon themselves to revitalize these dying hymns. In this thesis, I argue that Pawnee music can be a vital key in language revitalization. Songs not only have Pawnee sentence structure included inside the songs, but Pawnee songs can create interest in the Pawnee language, which is desperately needed.
Open Access
Repurposing the Comparative Method for Pawnee Language and Dialect Revitalization
(2016-08) Rice, Zachary; Sapién, Racquel-María; Haag, Marcia; Palmer, Gus Jr
A member of the Caddoan language family, Pawnee is a nearly extinct language with few living fluent speakers. However, there is an active, community-led revitalization movement. Community members involved in revitalization of Pawnee have a need for materials that support their efforts. This thesis demonstrates an innovative repurposing of the comparative method that is directly applicable to language revitalization. Traditionally, the comparative method is used in linguistics to establish genetic relationships and reconstruct proto-forms. In this thesis, the author uses the comparative method to establish sound correspondences between two Pawnee dialects, Skiri and South Band, and Arikara, a closely related language. These correspondences are used to propose new Pawnee words based on documented Arikara forms. Constructing new terms based on existing documentation of a related language ensures that the proposed forms are consistent with what is known about Pawnee phonology and morphophonemics. Furthermore, repurposing the comparative method makes Arikara and Pawnee linguistic material more accessible to both tribal communities for language revitalization purposes. The thesis includes extensive appendices illustrating sound correspondences, cognate forms, and new Pawnee terms as proposed by the author.