Working with language communities in unarchiving
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Martha J. Macri
Abstract
The purpose of the J. P. Harrington Database Project is to transcribe and code the linguistic and ethnographic notes Harrington made of California Indian languages, particularly those for which his documentation was the primary record. Showing Native people how to contribute to the creation of this valuable resource has taught students at the University of California, Davis lessons about the relationship between what they do as academics and how it relates to living people. Meeting the descendants of the speakers Harrington recorded has given us all a sense of how much these notes are valued by these communities today. The project has resulted in increased respect and appreciation for the contribution of all parties to our common goal of language research and cultural revitalization.
Abstract
The purpose of the J. P. Harrington Database Project is to transcribe and code the linguistic and ethnographic notes Harrington made of California Indian languages, particularly those for which his documentation was the primary record. Showing Native people how to contribute to the creation of this valuable resource has taught students at the University of California, Davis lessons about the relationship between what they do as academics and how it relates to living people. Meeting the descendants of the speakers Harrington recorded has given us all a sense of how much these notes are valued by these communities today. The project has resulted in increased respect and appreciation for the contribution of all parties to our common goal of language research and cultural revitalization.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Contributors ix
- Preface xiii
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Part 1. Praxis and values
- Language documentation 3
- The linguist’s responsibilities to the community of speakers 25
- Language documentation 37
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Part 2. Adequacy in documentation
- Adequacy in documentation 51
- Necessary and sufficient data collection 67
- Documenting different genres of oral narrative in Cora (Uto-Aztecan) 75
- Constructing adequate language documentation for multifaceted cross-linguistic data 89
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Part 3. Documentation technology
- Valuing technology 111
- Using the E-MELD School of Best Practices to create lasting digital documentation 133
- Sharing data in small and endangered languages 147
- Representing minority languages and cultures on the World Wide Web 159
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Part 4. Models of successful collaborations
- Beyond expertise 173
- Models of successful collaboration 193
- Working with language communities in unarchiving 213
- Saving languages, saving lives 221
- Language documentation in the Tohono O’odham community 231
- Documentation of pragmatics and metapragmatics 241
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Part 5. Training and careers in field linguistics
- Training graduate students and community members for native language documentation 255
- Native speakers as documenters 275
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part 6. Conclusion
- Language documentation and field linguistics 289
- Selected online resources 311
- Name index 315
- General index 337
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Contributors ix
- Preface xiii
-
Part 1. Praxis and values
- Language documentation 3
- The linguist’s responsibilities to the community of speakers 25
- Language documentation 37
-
Part 2. Adequacy in documentation
- Adequacy in documentation 51
- Necessary and sufficient data collection 67
- Documenting different genres of oral narrative in Cora (Uto-Aztecan) 75
- Constructing adequate language documentation for multifaceted cross-linguistic data 89
-
Part 3. Documentation technology
- Valuing technology 111
- Using the E-MELD School of Best Practices to create lasting digital documentation 133
- Sharing data in small and endangered languages 147
- Representing minority languages and cultures on the World Wide Web 159
-
Part 4. Models of successful collaborations
- Beyond expertise 173
- Models of successful collaboration 193
- Working with language communities in unarchiving 213
- Saving languages, saving lives 221
- Language documentation in the Tohono O’odham community 231
- Documentation of pragmatics and metapragmatics 241
-
Part 5. Training and careers in field linguistics
- Training graduate students and community members for native language documentation 255
- Native speakers as documenters 275
-
part 6. Conclusion
- Language documentation and field linguistics 289
- Selected online resources 311
- Name index 315
- General index 337
