Tommy Orange: Revitalizing the Cheyenne language, having tribal and non-tribal members learn the language, become fluent, is not an obscure hobby, is not like the learning of a past-time, like something that can’t be used or will not be useful. ‘Use’ itself depends on language and context, ‘use’ according whom? To understand the Cheyenne way of life, as Cheyenne people, as anyone interested in understanding Cheyenne people, language is the most direct route. There are ideas and worldviews embedded in the language. From what little I know to be true about any language, there is much to be learned.
Native people lived on this land for thousands and thousands of years. This country, American culture—which is in and of itself made of so many other cultures—has only existed for around three hundred years at most. There are relationships to this world, to the land, to each other to be learned from Native languages. There are ways to be we might need in a world such as this, one bent on destroying itself, one out of touch with what it means to consider our environment and our relationship to it. To have and embody respect, kindness, love, generosity. My dad told me the Cheyenne language has these qualities embedded in it. He said it’s a holy language.”
We grew up hearing our dad speak Cheyenne in phrases. Words for bread, or salt, or fart. Phrases like come sit down, come sit down for dinner. We didn’t grow up thinking we should or should not be learning our language. We didn’t know then how important a language is to keep, how it holds within… More here.