Preservation of Siletz in Oregon
3
Photo by Thomas Patterson for The New York Times
In the city of Siletz, Oregon there is an American Indian tribe speaking the Siletz Dee-ni (Johnson). However, there are only 5 speakers of the language left in the city (Johnson). According to Cultural Survival, the language once dominated this western part of North America before becoming almost extinct.
Photo by Thomas Patterson for The New York Times
Kirk Johnson, in his article about the Siletz community interviewed Bud Lane, a member of the Siletz tribe. Mr. Lane said that they had been working on an online Siletz Dee-ni Dictionary for seven years. In addition, Johnson says that “Siletz had become, by the time of the dictionary, almost an artifact — preserved in song for certain native dances, but without a single person living who had grown up with it as a first language.” Mr. Lane told The New York Times that he had listened to the elders speaking the language, similarly to the 4 members who keep the language alive (Johnson).
Furthermore, he commented that his goal was the stabilization of the language, and was hoping to create a group of speakers who would be able to pass it to the next generation (Johnson). Mr. Lane with the help of the members and language experts finished the dictionary; today it is available online for everyone (Johnson).