Language is a window into the daily life and values of a culture. Sometimes a rich tradition or important value is communicated with a single word that’s unique to that people. Language is practical, but it also reveals the true essence of its people. For the Yakama Nation Indian tribe, that window into their traditions, history and values is the Sahaptin or Ichishkiin language.
Sahaptin is considered an endangered language, so the drive and urgency to pass it on to younger generations is real. Today, Sahaptin is only spoken by the tribe’s elders and older members of the tribe, but HULC’s goal is to expand that to childbearing generations and eventually to the Yakama Nation children.
Heritage University Language Center (HULC) was started in the summer of 2014 to assist with the efforts in language revitalization, preservation, and promotion. Language endangerment and extinction is happening all over the world and people, communities, and organizations can work together to help make a difference and save as many languages as we can. HULC started different projects in the community such as: a Ichishkin focused 2 and 3 year old classroom at the Heritage University Early Learning Center, opened all of the college level classes to the community to take, and started Sithlama the Zillah after school Ichishkin Language and Culture club. HULC is working on creating more language material and has finished its first Ichishkin only book that is Volume One of an ongoing series of books.
Preserving the language is also about preserving the heart of the Yakama Nation tribe. The elders are like a giant wing of an incredible library. It is vital to pass along the precious history and knowledge they have to the younger generations because, more than a language, it’s the tribe’s identity.
Some estimates project that in 100 years, there will be just 20 Native American languages left. The hope is that through the efforts of the HULC, more of the Yakama Nation will become aware of and passionate about learning the Sahaptin language in order to restore it—not only to preserve a vital piece of the tribe’s history, but to make it a key part of the tribe’s future.
Heritage University is a non-profit, independent, non-denominational, accredited institution of higher education offering undergraduate and graduate education. Its mission is to provide quality, accessible higher education to multicultural populations which have been educationally isolated. Within its liberal arts curriculum, Heritage offers strong professional and career-oriented programs designed to enrich the quality of life for students and their communities.
