Caddo language faces cultural extinction: Last voice of this ancient language falls silent
Language binds a person to their identity; it makes them a part of a community and a carrier of a culture. Since the dawn of humanity, languages have come and gone. The way ancient humans spoke remains a mystery, and many other languages around the world are endangered, with their speakers declining due to globalisation.
No matter how strongly you hold on to your language, the world requires you to follow the norm and become more fluent in a commercial and universal tongue, rather than a unique and personal tongue. We meet so many people daily who speak more of their mother tongue away from home than they did there. Not only is it a matter of belonging but also of identity and persistence. Why is it important? Find out below!
The Caddo Nation of Oklahoma recently announced the death of Edmond Johnson,95, on July 14 on Facebook.
Johnson, who was a part of the native American tribe, was a beloved member and a "vital knowledge bearer" of the ancient language. Additionally, he was the last fluent speaker of the Caddo language.
"Mr. Johnson was not only a vital knowledge bearer of our language and a treasured elder. His passing marks an irreplaceable loss to our heritage, and we extend our deepest condolences to his family and all who mourn with us," said the post, alongside a photo of Johnson.
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Bobby Gonzalez, chairman of the Caddo Nation, told the local ABC station KOCO News 5 that the ancient language is "what makes us Caddo", as he explained its deep ties to the tribe's identity.
A fight for the life of a language
Image credits: X/@HawkkRico
Caddo is a part of the Caddoan language group, which includes other languages such as Wichita, Pawnee and Arikara. It is spoken by the Caddo Nation, which is an indigenous tribe from the Southern United States. Like the other languages of the tribe, Caddo is an endangered language whose speakers are critically low and mostly elderly.
The tribe has been actively working to preserve and revitalise the language through educational programs and community initiatives.
Over the past few years, Johnson had been working with the tribe's language preservation director to keep the language alive. 'He was really good at explaining things, [an] awesome storyteller,' Alaina Tahlate, the tribe's language preservation director, told KOCO News 5. 'The language connects every part of our culture together.
Use your language however much, or however little, that you know.'
According to their website, the language is known as Hasinai to the native speakers. The tribe itself is the descendant of agriculturalists whose ancient homelands are in present-day Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma. According to archaeological evidence, the tribe existed as early as 900 AD. The phonological structure of the Caddoan languages has a limited vowel system utilising three vowels and a range of consonants.
To honour Johnson's efforts and their cultural heritage, the tribe plans to continue preserving their language through a fund they plan to establish. 'We're doing everything we can to preserve what we can with the people that we know that can still understand it,' said Gonzalez.
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