63.011 - Film Expo: We Still Live Here - As Nutayuneân

Session Type: Invited Speaker Session

Abstract

Celebrated every Thanksgiving as the Indians who saved the Pilgrims from starvation, the Wampanoag Tribes of Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard are now saying -- in their native tongue -- "As Nutayuneân,"... We Still Live Here.

The Wampanoag's ancestors ensured the Pilgrims' survival, and lived to regret it. Now, a cultural revival is taking place. Spearheaded by celebrated linguist and MacArthur "genius" award recipient Jessie "Little Doe" Baird, the Wampanoag are bringing their language home.

It began with a recurring dream: familiar people from another time, speaking an incomprehensible language. These visions sent Baird on a journey that uncovered hundreds of documents written in Wampanoag, led to a Masters in Linguistics at MIT, and resulted in an unprecedented feat of language reclamation.

Film Website: http://www.makepeaceproductions.com/wampfilm.html

Sub Unit

• AERA Presidential Session

Chairs

• Jonathan I Gayles, Georgia State University

• Anne Mark, Anne Makepeace Productions