Hello Mr. Wright,
I highly recommend involving the parents of the children who speak those languages.
As one who worked 30 years as the director of The Boston Indian Council Headstart, I learned that there may or may not be a word that describes some objects in your classroom. For example there may not be a word for blocks, but definitely there would be a word for doll. The word for doll may be different in each of the languages you mentioned.Additionally, it is important to note that the history of this country passed laws preventing Indigenous Peoples from speaking their language and practicing their religion. Up until 1964 children at the age of five were taken from their families and put in religious boarding schools. Most were beaten if they spoke their language. I mention this because for many, their language was lost. Now, in contemporary America many tribes are actively "recovering" "relearning" their language from elders that remain with their language intact.
Therefore, I highly recommend involvement of parents, the tribes, and elders of the community. Ask the children. They may know the word, but not the spelling. As another respondent suggested try each tribes webpage. I would recommend asking how to pronounce the words so you say them correctly.
Good luck. Thank you for valuing the language of the children you serve.
Patricia Landry
Boston, Massachusetts
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Patricia Landry
Retired
Jamaica Plain MA
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-12-2021 05:56 AM
From: Sonya Sloan Howard
Subject: Native American languages in the classroom
I would suggest searching Facebook for those tribal groups. Most Native American tribes have FB pages and are open and available to help anyone who has questions about their culture
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Sonya Sloan Howard
Odenton MD
Original Message:
Sent: 02-11-2021 12:11 AM
From: Jacklyn Wright
Subject: Native American languages in the classroom
Does anyone have experience with or know where I can find resources to translate everyday classroom objects labels from English to Native American language, preferably Sauk, Shawnee, or Pottowatomie but an open to other native languages as well. I work for a tribal head start and want to reflect the culture through language, but am having a hard time finding translations.
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Jacklyn Wright
Cushing OK
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