Gneshnabem ne? Do you speak Bodewadmimwen?
Last month the Citizen Potawatomi Nation’s language department released a pair of tools to help preserve its highly-endangered language: an online searchable dictionary and a series of free online, self-paced Bodewadmimwen language courses for both adults and children.
The dictionary features more than 8,500 words, their definitions and pronunciations, as well as audio recordings so you can hear exactly how each word is pronounced by a native speaker and video clips that highlight their cultural significance. Click on bezgwabote, maple syrup, for example, and you’ll be directed to a video showcasing the traditional process of tapping trees for the sweet sap; tap winagé and you’ll hear a traditional story centered upon a wily buzzard.
“Growing up [in Kansas City, Missouri],” he says, “I always knew I was Potawatomi. I knew some of our history and culture, but didn’t know our language. One day when I was about 18 years old, I attended a meeting where an old man stood and prayed in the language. Once I heard the language, I was hooked. I always told people I was Potawatomi and was proud of this fact but wondered, how could I truly say I was Potawatomi when I couldn’t even speak our language?”
potawatomidictionary.com
Online language classespotawatomiheritage.com
