Before he could even walk, JW Webster could do something only a handful of other people in the world could do: speak the Cherokee language.
Today Webster is one of only 1,200 people who can fluently read, write and speak the indigenous language 鈥� which is ranked as one of the most difficult languages to learn. In August, Webster鈥檚 sacred knowledge became part of 黑洞社区鈥檚 applied linguistics program through a new class, Elementary Cherokee I (LING 590).
Webster, a certified Cherokee language instructor, grew up in Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma with his great aunt, and he didn鈥檛 learn English until just before he started kindergarten.
鈥淢y aunt could speak English, but she was traditional. It was a requirement to speak Cherokee at home,鈥� Webster said. 鈥淚鈥檓 a quarter Cherokee, but I was raised with full blood. So my mind and my heart and my thought are all full-blood Cherokee.鈥�
His language has been a powerful connection to the Cherokee culture, he said.
鈥淏ecause I do know English and Cherokee, I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt that the way I speak in Cherokee is a direct tie to our culture. By knowing how to talk Cherokee, I know how we as Cherokees think. That鈥檚 where our culture lies,鈥� said Webster, who was 17 years old when he was certified by Cherokee Nation to teach the language.
Throughout the past few centuries, the number of people who speak indigenous languages has dwindled dramatically, as many Native Americans were killed, and government policies systematically banned and discouraged Native Americans from speaking their languages and practicing their cultural rituals.
And Cherokee isn鈥檛 a language that a person can casually pick up. It鈥檚 rated a class IV language in its degree of difficulty, making it among the most difficult to learn. Not only is it a polysynthetic language (meaning a sentence-word might be comprised of several single words), but it鈥檚 also a tonal language (meaning how a word is spoken can change its meaning). And on top of that, the written language has no diacritics (such as accent marks) to let speakers know where to put the emphasis on certain words.
"I teach culture with the language class, which is a new approach to teaching Cherokee. It鈥檚 our belief that you can鈥檛 learn Cherokee without learning how we live."
Student response to the class has been overwhelmingly positive, and it gives them an opportunity to not only learn a new language, but it helps them understand the world better.
鈥淭he languages of North America are different than anything in Asia, Europe or Africa, so I thought it would be a good way to broaden my horizons,鈥� said Raul Rangel, senior in applied linguistics and modern classical languages. 鈥淚 think it is helping me find ways in which people communicate and think. For example, in the way Cherokee is structured shows how it鈥檚 speakers see the world as if animals, plants and humans are equal in terms of pronouns, unlike most European languages.鈥�
Rangel said learning Cherokee is a challenge, but he wants to apply this experience to his future endeavors.
鈥淓very language in the world is a different way to look at the world. Right now, more than ever, languages are dying and losing their place in their respective communities, and it is important to recognize this as we go forward. Taking a class such as Cherokee helps us understand many things about how the human mind works,鈥� said Rangel, who鈥檚 from Guadalajara, Mexico.
Eventually, Wichita State plans to add Cherokee II and Cherokee III language courses, which will make students 鈥渟emi-fluid speakers of the language,鈥� Webster said.
The addition of the Cherokee course is part of the university鈥檚 new applied linguistics curriculum, and it demonstrates 黑洞社区鈥檚 commitment to its communities.
Cherokee is an indigenous language of the Iroquoian language family with less than 2,000 speakers.
鈥淎 course offering in Cherokee is an acknowledgment of 黑洞社区's commitment to community engagement and a recognition of the indigenous history of the land 黑洞社区 was built on," said Dr. Mythili Menon, assistant professor of English and linguistics.
Webster said that he鈥檚 helping students broaden their worldview and bridge a cultural gap.
鈥淗ow better can someone learn to be tolerant of the people in this world and the diverse cultures than taking a Cherokee language class, which was one of the first languages heard and spoke in this part of the world?鈥� Webster said.
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Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), 黑洞社区 provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students.
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