According to the Native Americans Language Website, Cherokee originally means “people with another language.” When the Europeans first came to America, they learned that the Muscogee Nation called this particular group of Indians, Cherokee, hence why they were introduced as the Cherokee Indians. The Cherokee’s native name for themselves was Aniyunwiya. They came from an Iroquoian descent and settled in the southeastern part of the United States. Years later, they have accepted being named as the Cherokee Indians, however, they spell Cherokee as Tsalagi. Tsalagi was an Iroquoian language invented by a Native American Scholar.
Moreover, a scholar named Lizette Peter published a scholarly journal article called “Our Beloved Cherokee: A Naturalistic …show more content…
“Roseanna Belt is the director of WCU’s Cherokee Center. Built 35 years ago, the Cherokee Center once gave Cherokee students a convenient setting for taking general education requirements. Now, Belt said, it’s a bridge between the Cherokee and WCU communities” (Nelson). One of the many success stories of the WCU is that there was a non-Indian woman who graduated with a master’s degree based on the Cherokee history and language. The woman now teaches at the university and is a fluent Cherokee speaker. “The language revitalization process is working, Belt said, the problem is, it’s a slow process” …show more content…
“What’s more, languages are conduits of human heritage. Writing is a relatively recent development in our history (written systems currently exist for only about one-third of the world’s languages), so language itself is often the only way to convey a community’s songs, stories and poems. The Iliad was an oral story before it was written, as was The Odyssey. ‘How many other traditions are out there in the world that we’ll never know about because no-one recorded them before the language disappeared?’ Austin says” (BBC News).
To sum up, the Cherokee Indians have experienced a decrease in their speakers over the years thanks to drastic changes in their culture and environment. However, people have come together to help preserve their dying language. Even media play a big role in saving their language. As a result, the Cherokee language still continue to exist today and probably in the distant
Moreover, a scholar named Lizette Peter published a scholarly journal article called “Our Beloved Cherokee: A Naturalistic …show more content…
“Roseanna Belt is the director of WCU’s Cherokee Center. Built 35 years ago, the Cherokee Center once gave Cherokee students a convenient setting for taking general education requirements. Now, Belt said, it’s a bridge between the Cherokee and WCU communities” (Nelson). One of the many success stories of the WCU is that there was a non-Indian woman who graduated with a master’s degree based on the Cherokee history and language. The woman now teaches at the university and is a fluent Cherokee speaker. “The language revitalization process is working, Belt said, the problem is, it’s a slow process” …show more content…
“What’s more, languages are conduits of human heritage. Writing is a relatively recent development in our history (written systems currently exist for only about one-third of the world’s languages), so language itself is often the only way to convey a community’s songs, stories and poems. The Iliad was an oral story before it was written, as was The Odyssey. ‘How many other traditions are out there in the world that we’ll never know about because no-one recorded them before the language disappeared?’ Austin says” (BBC News).
To sum up, the Cherokee Indians have experienced a decrease in their speakers over the years thanks to drastic changes in their culture and environment. However, people have come together to help preserve their dying language. Even media play a big role in saving their language. As a result, the Cherokee language still continue to exist today and probably in the distant