The Sam Noble Museum of Natural History announced a new endowment fund Thursday dedicated to support the preservation of Native American languages amid a decrease of fluent Native language speakers.
OU’s Department of Native American Studies launched a new Native Language Fair Honor Fund to help sustain Native languages across Oklahoma and the U.S., according to a press release from the museum.
Each year, the Sam Noble Museum hosts the Oklahoma Native American Youth Language Fair.
The decreasing number of fluent Native speakers significantly impacts these fairs, according to the release.
The Native Language Fair Honor Fund contributes toward an endowment for the fair, according to the release, generating stable funding and enabling the museum to provide students with a space to share their Native languages and support broader language revitalization across Oklahoma.
According to the release, COVID-19 affected Native American communities as many of the fluent Native speakers passed away, taking their knowledge of language and culture with them.
At least 14 of the biggest contributors to the fair died, according to the release. The Sam Noble Museum hopes to carry on their legacy with the fair every year, keeping their passions alive.
“(It’s) knowledge that absolutely can't be found anywhere else on the earth,” Jason Salsman of the Muscogee Nation said in the release. “I mean, you can scour the globe. And it’s very specific to this area and this culture. So to lose that is devastating.”
The language fair will be held in April. To make a contribution to the Native Language Fair Honor Fund, visit the OU Foundation page.
This story was edited by Alexia Aston and Taylor Jones. Mary Ann Livingood copy edited this story.
