Shinnecock and Unkechaug
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The records of the Indigenous Language Institute say that there are no living speakers of Shinnecock and Unkechaug. These have been the languages of Long Island’s Indian tribes for nearly 200 years (Cohen). In 2010, a joint project was created to revive these two dormant languages by Stony Brook University and two of the Indian tribes (Cohen). They used old documents, including the vocabulary notes of Shinnecock and Unkechaug languages, written by Thomas Jefferson when he visited the tribes back in 1791 (Cohen). Jefferson also noted that at the time of his visit, there were only 3 old women who were able to speak the language fluently (Cohen).
Representatives from Stony Brook’s Southampton campus said to The New York Times journalist, Patricia Cohen that “the goal is language resuscitation and enlisting tribal members from this generation and the next to speak them.”
According to the leader of the Unkechaug Nation, Chief Harry Wallace, for Native American tribes, language plays an integral role in tribe member’s lives when it comes to understanding the culture per se (Cohen). Moreover, Mr. Wallace said that “when our children study their own language and culture, they perform better academically. They have a core foundation to rely on” (Cohen).
Shinnecock Indian Tribe