Today we watched the film, directed by Anne Makepeace, We Still Live Here: Âs Nutayuneân. Visit www.makepeaceproductions.org Write an initial response to the film here. I am still stalling. Buy the textbooks. I am not giving anyone a permission number who doesn't have books.
Synopsis from the website:
Âs Nutayuneân tells a remarkable story of cultural revival by the Wampanoag of Southeastern Massachusetts. Their ancestors ensured the survival of the Pilgrims in New England, and lived to regret it. Now they are bringing their language home again.
I find the study of language and culture fascinating. Can one participate in one's cultural reality if one lacks linguistic access? How do we speak about what we know, how do we know what we know and what others in our ethnic group knew or found valuable if we have no way to communicate with them via artifacts left or living history in the elders?
Is such a person culturally inept forever? What happens when languages disappear but the people don't, as is the case in so many indigenous communities?
I find the study of language and culture fascinating. Can one participate in one's cultural reality if one lacks linguistic access? How do we speak about what we know, how do we know what we know and what others in our ethnic group knew or found valuable if we have no way to communicate with them via artifacts left or living history in the elders?
Is such a person culturally inept forever? What happens when languages disappear but the people don't, as is the case in so many indigenous communities?
When we read The Dance Boots, Linda LeGarde Grover uses indigenous language in the dialogue characters speak. Note how this language which we are no conversant in adds to the fullness of said characters who like the Wampanaog people who were robbed of their culture.
Think about what the narrator says about converted Wampanaog, "I am pitiful. I loath myself." Why is there so much alcohol or substance abuse in such communities--colonized, assimilated traumatized people?
Think about what the narrator says about converted Wampanaog, "I am pitiful. I loath myself." Why is there so much alcohol or substance abuse in such communities--colonized, assimilated traumatized people?
When I was in JHB, South Africa, I saw so many ads for alcohol and encountered so many inebriated adults, healers and medicine men, who were drunk on the job. South Africa, like America, was stolen from its people.
Essay Assignment
In a 250-500 word essay, look at a theme such as language and culture and discuss how its presence or absence affects a community either positively or negatively. Introduce the film in the introduction and then state your thesis after a brief summary. The essay should be minimally three paragraphs.
Bring a paper copy to class tomorrow to share. The final draft will be emailed to me tomorrow sometime.
Freewrite due now. Post here.
Now, share initial impressions about the film. If you came in late to the film, read a review of the film and read the website, listen to the interview with the author. How is film a great storytelling medium. How well does the director tell the story. Does her personal involvement in the story affect the product or enhance it?
Presently, Sundance is taking place in Utah. It is the largest film festival in the country. I noted on the board that the film is screening at Stanford University Feb. 7, 2012. If you go and write about it, you can have extra credit. Check the film website for the details. I am interviewing the director on my website Friday, January 27, 2012 (9 AM). The show starts at 8 AM. The link is: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/wandas-picks/2012/01/27/wandas-picks
What questions does the film raise which are perhaps unanswered? Are there references you are unaware of? If so, look them up and list them here in your response to the film.
21 comments:
Ashley Richards
Professor Sabir
English 1B
25 January 2012
“We Still Live Here”
The thought of bringing back a “dead”, unknown language is difficult to wrap my head around. I find it very intriguing that a woman had a dream about her ancestors talking to her in Wampanoag and she found a way to bring it to the surface with a group of people and a professor to help her along the way. The part of the film that talked about the way that the Wampanoag people felt about themselves was sad. That they loath themselves for being so pathetic that they couldn’t even take care of their families they way that they wanted to. It breaks my heart. The English went so low to start charging them taxes to stay on their land and they couldn’t pay it so they would give up one of their children to do so. Having everything taken away from you and you can’t get it back without getting killed in the process, I just can’t imagine.
Learning a new language though is pretty intense. Especially, learning it in your 30’s, I can’t even learn Spanish correctly so the fact that she can speak fluently in a language that she didn’t even know existed is amazing.
Ryan James Gozinsky-Irwin
PRofessor Wanda Sabir
English 1B
Period 8-8:50
1.25.2011
Today in class we watch a short documentary entitled "We Still Live Here" about a young mother living near Cape Town, Massachusetts, who through her dreams, begins on a remarkable journey to help revive a deceased language of the indigenous Wampanoag people. I thought the documentary was interesting because I too feel as if I am on my own journey to bring back old traditions that have been forgotten for lord knows what reason but something deep down inside us that guides us into the right direction. She, I felt, was initially and still remains hopefully, very diligent and set on restoring the lost community with a traditional dialogue that was essentially intentionally erased for control by a 3rd party (European settlers). I thought it was noble of her to try and teach her daughter to speak the language of the Wampanoag people as her native language, a fun fact she has now for life. However, I would argue that its not a waste of time but possibly not as beneficial as learning a language such as spanish that is more predominate and useful in our society. However, with that said, I do think it is amazing and extremely important that we do have people to commit themselves such as she did to sustain parts of our cultural and history of the United States regardless of how unethical, atrocious, and horrendous some parts may be.
Billy Russell
Professor Sabir
English 1B
25 January 2012
"We Still Liver Here"
My initial impression was that the main character in the film, Jessie, was completely nuts. I found it hard to believe her story of distant ancestors speaking Wampanoag to her in her dreams. As the movie progressed though, it became clear that she was a dedicated and educated woman, and not someone simply crying for attention.
Fim is a great story telling medium in this case for a lot of reasons. Most importantly the audience gets to actually hear the language being spoken for the first time in generations. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a motion picture, at an average of 24 frames per second, is worth millions.
I believe the director tells the story very well. It starts out with the main characters epiphany about bringing back a dead language, a good attention grabber, then the author goes on to tell the amazing accomplishments of Jessie as well as giving her audience a number of enlightening interviews and background information on the Wampanoag people.
Allen Lee
Professor Sabir
English 1B
25 January 2012
The film we witnessed today in class talked about a dying language that was revived through intense dedication and passed down to the next generation. The narrator, Âs Nutayuneân, told the depths of the story; she started telling her experience and slowly found that she was not the only one who wanted to understand the language of their ancestors. Her presence as a narrator strengthens the story because she is an icon of how dedicated humanity is to understand the unknowns; he lengths a person would go to achieve little knowledge. The film not only portray Âs Nutayuneân hard work, but also the community. In the beginning, the community did not reject the idea but rather eager to learn. They made time to gather together and learn. Not only is the community well portrayed in the film but also the facts that referenced the source of the research. They talked about how they found documents that had Wampanoag writing along with the Wampanoag bible, written by John Eliot. Not only did the film talked about their steps towards reviving the language but also the history that led to the slow death of the culture. The film referenced the history of death by diseases and abuse from English settlers along with the cruel way the settlers converted the natives. Overall the film was well made as it provided enough history and understand the difficulties of the communities goals and showed the power of determination in restoring the Wampanoag language.
The film "We Shall Live Again" constitutes the idea that language can be lost in translation, when introduced to a new environment. The native tribe of Boston, MA known as the wampanoag tribe. Felt as though their heritage was forgotten and they self-loath themselves because, they do not know their own language. Language identifies an individual and creates a cultural balance between humans.
In the film it shows that the tribe outside Boston, MA felt as though they needed to learn their language before speaking to somebody who already can speak their language. Cause, its showing disrespect. The film captured my attention because, it tells me that people can hate themselves on the sole purpose of not just knowing their language. Showing us as individuals that something as simple as a language can define an whole out look on ones self and how they might feel about themselves.
Maribel Arrizon
Professor Sabir
English 1B
25 January 2012
"We Still Live Here" is a story of an indigenous community craving to bring back the native language that died when the European settlers robbed them of their life. I found the story riveting when Jessie Little Doe starts the film by explaining her dreams. Thinking about it, I interpret her dreams as an unquenched desire deep in her subconscious mind trying to express itself, and I find this fascinating. I think that culture and language are interconnected with each other and even though the language and or the culture is forgotten I believe there is something like a footprint left inside our minds that gives us a natural connection to them. I found the film very spiritual, especially when they were explaining how the Wampanoag Indians felt that the earth was an extension of themselves and it gave me the impression that the language is very poetic. I find Little Doe as a very admiring and determined person who believes and cherishes who she is and where she comes from. I am fascinated by the way that they find out the words for some things when there is no record or way of knowing if the pronunciation is correct.
Great, insightful responses to the film. You are going to enjoy The Dance Boots.
Giao Bui
Professor Sabir
English 1B
25 January 2012
Language is a very important part of culture and it was sad to see how it was robbed from the Wampanoag people. Although Jessie Little Doe Baird’s dream of ancestor seems to be a message from the past, I believe that her dream was a manifestation of her desire to know more about her ancestors and what they spoke. I thought that looking at old Wampanoag documents gave them more than just their language in written form; it gave them a connection to the past. Through those documents the read, they could discover what their ancestors wanted. It was sad that the notes the Wampanoag people wrote in their bibles showed how clearly colonization and conversion to Christianity was robbing them of their identity.
At first I thought that Baird was really stubborn for turning away the white who wanted to help her people revive their language. However, documentary showed the atrocious act of the robbing of Wampanoag land. Baird was rightfully angry and I understood that she had a grudge that would be hard to let go of. Later into the film, she accepted the help from the white man which was very ironic, as the white man caused the death of Wampanoag. The revival of the language was a much more hopeful part of the movie and I believe that the Wampanoag people are regaining their identity.
Sherrlyne Apostol
Professor Sabir
English 1B
25 Janurary 2012
In the movie “We Still Live Here” the main character Jessie was startled by a dream she had about her decimated culture. The movie was mainly about her efforts to revive and reunite with her Wampanoag heritage. I found the movie particularly interesting because its difficult for me to comprehend the notion of a language or entire culture lost. Although I am an American citizen my Filipino heritage is strongly engraved into my cultural identity. I couldn’t imagine my life without my cultural background.
I believe it is possible for one to participate in ones cultural reality without the aid of linguistic access. I know many people who know nothing of their ethnic languages but still take part in cultural traditions. In Jessie’s situation, I’d find it very difficult to bring back a language or an entire culture without any living elders or physical artifacts to source from. The fact that Jessie was successful in reviving her culture with just little help is admiral.
Alexandra Scannell
W.Sabir
English 1B
25 January 2012
Today in class, we watched a movie about the rebirth of the lost language of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe, titled "We Still Live Here". As I was watching this movie, what inspired me most was how passionate the native people are about their heritage. As I think to myself, I don't know much about my own culture besides different food dishes. I have no clue about the struggles of my people, the language, or much history. This movie has opened my eyes to learning about the traditions and language of the Phillipines, Hawa'ii, Korea and Guam.
Astrid Brown
Professor Sabir
English 1B
25 January 2012
“We Still Live Here”
I am really impressed by their achievements of waking a presumed dead language back to life. I think that when the need to connect with a culture becomes strong enough anyone can achieve anything to be able to express individuality as a people. Language is culture to me and growing up in Norway I was continuously reminded of the importance of protecting our language to protect our culture. As globalization is continuously expanding and with English as lingua franca in the world of technology, so is the danger of losing a language and thus an important part of what is significant to a culture. After Norway gained their independence in 1814 the focus on rebuilding what was left of the old traditions was the main and most important focus to have the country come together and rebuild its own culture. It focused mainly on language and that is one of the reasons Norway has two official written languages: Bokmål (book language) and Nynorsk (new Norwegian).
In regards to the film I think that motion picture is a great storytelling medium. The director’s personal involvement emphasizes the story. I think it is extremely courageous to bring back a lost language and I believe that it will help increase awareness on embracing individuality and respect for different cultures and history.
Karesha Lillard
Professor Sabir
English 1B
January 25, 2012
"We Still Live Here"
Wow, im still trying to wrap around my finger everything that took place. There was so much information and so many things that i was definately unaware about when it came to the Indians. Some of things were a little unclear to me, for example, how did they even forget their language? What made them want to relearn their language? I was a bit confused when the woman in the movie named Jessie said she was having visions about someone talking to her. I thought it was tramendously interesting how they all came together as a community to gain their language back. I know they had to be upset when the english men were taking over their land. Some of the Indians were not able to go their favorite places anymore because it was considered "private property". That probably hurted them, alot. I have alot of respect for them for accomplishing their goal because learning a new language is definately not easy at all. I am a widness to that. Overall this movie was very inspirational because it taught me that anything is possibly when you put your mind to it. All you have to do is really want it. I would recommend that movie to alot of people. It was a learning experience for me.
Ng, Pauline
Prof. Sabir
Eng 1B
1/25/2012
“We Still Live Here”
Today in class we watch a short film called “We Still Live Here”. It was about a native community that brought back their dead language. I am very impressed that they brought back their language to life by going out of their way to find resources and spokes people to teach them about their culture and language. I was also happy to see that they were teaching their kids about it so that the language and culture can live on and not die out. While watching the film I was really touched about their passion to find their culture and to teach it, because I wish I have that passion for my own culture. I do not know much about my own culture and I am not fluent in my language either and I hope my kids will have the chance to go to school to learn the language and culture that I did not have.
Aaron Kohgadai
Professor Sabir
English 1B
25 January 2012
While watching the film, “We Still Live Here”, I began to feel a sort of connection with the woman in the video. This woman is of the Native American descent and through a vision; she decided to regain her ancestry and culture. The woman began to do scholarly things to attempt to restart a language and culture that is almost deceased. I too, am of a different race and my family was force out of my country due to foreign invasion. My family fled Afghanistan in the early 80’s and seeks refuge in America. I was the first generation born in America. My culture began to whither away as well while I was growing up. Now, not to long ago, I began to embrace my heritage and culture every change I got. And I practice the language everyday. I am very impressed with the dedication and determination that the main character had when perusing her dream in restoring her people’s customs. I give her much respect when she began to learn and got fluent in her native tongue; when she has never known a single word of it before. Overall, this documentary was great and I would definitely recommend it to my friends.
Brianna Gattenby
Professor Sabir
English 1B
January 25, 2012
I was really fascinated by this movie and the Wampanoag people. I think it's very awesome that they decided to bring back their lost language. I mean it's a lot of hard work, dedication, and a lot of research but it's totally worth it. I enjoyed hearing the stories of their culture, the songs. My favorite was of the first man and woman, that was a beautiful story. I feel horrible about the way they were treated, "convert or die". It broke my heart to hear about how they decided to just give up on their language, their culture, their ways. It really opened my eyes watching this video and I would really like to learn more if we have the opportunity to. I might just learn more about it on my own time.
Andrea Carter
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1B
25 Jan, 2012
My initial impression of the film was deep sadness. Here is a community of people who want their language and culture back with little resources available and very little to no elders to tell and teach them of who they are and where they come from. These people being the first to greet the settlers when they came lost practically everything cause they believed in brotherhood, common wealth for everyone and fair trade.
This film was a great storytelling medium because of its strong imagery. It was like kids drawing, you understood the Wompanoag and where they were coming from. This film was simple but in a symbolic depth that allowed for its viewers to feel what the Wompanoag people went threw, what they are currently going threw and the triumphs the have made. In this film you are able to see and relate to the people on the screen. Most if not all of America can relate to the Wompanoag people, a number of ethnic groups have been oppressed and stripped of their culture and language by the America's or fled to America to escape it within their own countries.
The authors personal involvement in the Wompanoag's story enhanced it. The way that she incorporated subtle but powerful imagery. Her urge to bring the Wompanoag story to the world is like the three "Invisible Children" guys and how they saw something in those childrens story so much that the world needed to know their story.
Brittney Brunner
Professor Sabir
English 1B
"We Still Live Here"
In the short film, "We Still Live Here", the Native American tribe, Wampanoags struggle to bring their dead language back from the dead, make a name and reestablish themselves.
These people basically had to learn a dead language from scratch on order to teach themselves. In a colorful loud room, a silent person won't get noticed. Its like they were perhaps never there to begin with. America is that colorful loud room; so rich and filled with many cultures and languages but the Wampanoags are the silent one in the room who failed to be noticed.
I actually saw what a missing language can do to a community. I saw a documentary on a different Native American tribe I believe in South Dakota. The moral values were absent like the language and the young adults never learned the language and did nothing but party and drink. This led rapes every day. Young children from ages 13 to 18 would rape their peers at these parties this was a recurrence on the Indian Reservation where 5 parties could be going on at one time in different places and 4 girls could get raped by their classmates at each party every night. You do the math. These rapes were never reported and this also leaf to many suicides.
So in conclusion, it's important to have a language you get to see where you come from.and know who you are.
Demetria Owens
Eng 1B
Class film
January 27,2011
I learned alot January 25, 2012 watching the class film "We still Here" , directed by Anne PaceMaake . The Wampanoag who are Algonquian-speaking North Americans Indians who formerly occupied parts of the states of Rhode Island and Massachusetts, including Martha's Vineyard and adjacent islands. The language had fallen silent 150 years ago.
The Wampanoag Language Reclamation project was founded in 1993 . The organization has a great program that has brought their mother tounge into states use by many generations .
The questions the film rAises which are perhaps un answers was the film speakers true heritage and personal back round .
Vanessa Dilworth
Professor Sabir
English 1B
28 January 2012
The Rebirth of a Language
We Are Still Here is a very intriguing documentary about the revival of the Native American language Wampanoag, which had been lost for over a hundred years. A Wampanoag woman by the name of Jessie Little Doe embarked upon a journey to revive her ancestor’s language, which had diminished with the conversion of Christianity of her people, the theft of their land, and the forbidden use of their native tongue. The loss of their language had a very negative impact on their community. Some Wampanoag felt truly hurt by not being able to speak their native dialect, and felt a part of them was missing. When they became acquainted with their language it seemed as though they received not only their indigenous vernacular back but also the ability to “begin seeing the world through a different lens,” their lens.
The Wampanoag were the first people to encounter pilgrims in their excursion to the “New World,” which later lead to pastors giving them bibles, forcing the Wampanoag to renounce their “sinful heathen ways,” and converting them to Christianity. In fact, the only written article of their language was the bible, which became the focal point in restoring their language. Doe, the director of the film and the linguist who helped restore the language, used the bible and closely related languages to piece together her native tongue. I think that Doe enhances the story because she is personally involved in it. She is very invested in the longevity of her language for future generations and in telling their history. Doe’s daughter will be the first native speaker of Wampanoag in a century.
Hadi Al-Jumaie
Professor Sabir
English 1B
30 January 2012
"We Still Live Here"
As most of us know (since we watched a portion of the film in class) this film is about the modern descendents of the Wampanoag people. They were the first of the indigenous Americans to come into contact with the western settlers. Their story of loss in nearly every aspect of life, would be only the beginning in a dark first chapter of European-American history. The scope of the tragedies that would unfold could not be fit into one book, film, or song. With that said, it is wise to view our past on a more specific and personal level. This film accomplishes that by focusing on an aspect of life that most of us take for granted - language.
As I read the prompt which included the synopsis from the official website, two things struck me. Who owns language? And at what point do humans simply break?
I will start with the latter. The prevalence of alcohol, substance abuse and suicide in communities that have been colonized is well known. Many of us have seen it or are aware of it. Until this prompt, I had always felt that this was living evidence of the horrors of imperialism. It seemed that maybe the return of land, or something similar could be a catalyst of change. As i began to think harder, I realized there was much much more.
Hadi Cont.
I tried to think what it would be like since I do not know, and cannot know. The only reality, or state of mind that I have ever known was my own. It is bound by the world i perceive around me and the narrowed by the perspective I have of it. I suppose this is what is meant by 'reality is what we perceive' and 'everything is relative'. This is the closest perspective I feel i will ever share with those dying slowly on reservations. They are a people who wake up on the worst parcels of a vast land that once belonged to them. What land they do have is not completely sovereign. Their history is one of abused trust. Resources they felt no man could own, because all had a right to it, were claimed and sold. A legacy of rape, not only of the physical but of the spiritual. At this point how does one define who they are? How can one draw strength when nearly every aspect of their existence is tainted with defeat? It's no wonder why many self medicate. It doesn't help that in our desire to gain capital, we market to such people. Rather, it is shameful. I wonder about those who we deem "successful". They gain power, money, and influence, but it is still to a large degree, on the terms of the United States. How much pride must be swallowed for many of them to get to this point? Can this hollow a man? If it were me, I cannot say that I would be strong enough to try and rally my people. This isn't to say that all of their leaders are in this position, but it is merely my attempt to empathize and understand why they have the highest suicide rate of any demographic in America. I think I am only beginning to understand the self-loathing...
It is at this point that I find hope in language. The synopsis asks "what happens if a language disappears but the people remain?". Well, the first thought most would have would be to look for what remnants of this language might exist. But if all documentation is gone, then what? What came to my mind next was," Why not make a language? I mean, who owns it?". Language is more than just words. It is a person's attempt to communicate thoughts and feelings to another. As time passes rules are formed so that the message can be consistently understood. However, history has shown us that over time language changes. It becomes like a living record. It grows and develops a multifaceted character that reflects our history. Its sad that all this can be lost, but why can't we start anew? It would reflect the next chapter of a people, and its very existence would be a reminder of a past that should not be forgotten. If nothing else, history has proven through its changes, that we all have ownership of language. We have the ability to give words and phrases a meaning that was not there before. This can forever change a word/phrase. So, I guess as sad as it sounds to start anew, the idea has grown on me - a language for the next generation or simply a new beginning.
Post a Comment