Stories of Language Preservation
In the beginning there was a Coyote and an Eagle. The old coyote was a trickster who was native to the urban area, while the wise Eagle was from the rural reservation. Together they created this story-telling platform to learn, preserve, interact and share our diverse Native languages and cultures. The conversation started with a hello.
Everyone has their own language path.
Pueblo of Isleta
My language is the foundation of who I am. Every word carries the stories of my ancestors and connects me to my homeland.
Navajo Nation
Growing up, I heard the elders speak and it sounded like music. Now I realize each phrase holds a teaching that cannot be translated.
Lakota
Language is our first medicine. When we speak our language, we heal connections that colonization tried to sever.
Coyote begins his own path by looking for Eagle to learn more about his language and culture.
The language path is layered with your own experiences.
Pueblo of Isleta
Learning my language as an adult was humbling. Each new word I learn opens a door to understanding my culture more deeply.
Navajo Nation
My journey with language has taught me patience. Some concepts only make sense when spoken in our tongue — they lose their essence in English.
Lakota
When I speak my language, I feel my grandmother's presence. It is the thread that weaves through generations of our family.
Friend, we have so much to learn from each others paths.
Learn. Speak. Preserve.
Pueblo of Isleta
To the young ones: your language is not old-fashioned. It is a gift that holds the wisdom of thousands of years. Speak it proudly.
Navajo Nation
Every language that disappears takes with it an entire way of seeing the world. We must be the bridge between our elders and our children.
Lakota
Technology can be our ally. Platforms like this help us share our languages with the world while keeping them rooted in our communities.
Eagle continues his story-telling path by leaving this platform and returning the knowledge back to his people.
Interaction
Share your experience
Coyote and Eagle
www.coyoteandeagle.com
Members
Ras K'dee
Leo Vicenti
Dwayne Joe
Feather Metsch
Paul Beccio
Github
github.com/isletatech/coyoteandeagle