Teaching Dena'ina language through Dena'ina culturally based reading practices

Abstract

The Dena'ina language is a well-documented Northern Dene Alaska Native language in south-central Alaska. The Dena'ina language is on the brink of going to sleep. The Dena'ina community strongly desires for the Dena'ina language to once again thrive in the community. Language-use within the community is a contributing factor to the health of the community. As Dena'ina tribes work towards bringing back the Dena'ina language, the community grapples with the role of reading and writing, both potentially harmful and aiding community language work. A Classroom-Based Action Research qualitative study was conducted to determine if reading instruction in the Dena'ina language can be culturally based and if the culturally based teaching method produces student growth. A Dene language instructor talking circle evaluated the cultural basis and considerations of the proposed teaching approach based on a sample demonstration. The Dena'ina cultural approach was defined as tying together an individual responsibility to meaningfully give back and contribute to the community, learning to listen while demonstrating understanding through action, and individual and collective response through a relationship to place. The Dene language instructor talking circle included nine participants who identified the presented Dena'ina language teaching approach as having a high degree of Dena'ina cultural basis. The significant cultural indicators are producing Dena'ina language speaking skills as student outcomes, utilizing Dena'ina songs, and utilizing color and visualizations that connect the teaching to the Dena'ina story Unhtsah Ninya Niteh Hja'idatl' When The Animals Divided Into Pairs. Student growth data was provided by a single college student enrolled in the Dena'ina Orthography course taught at the Kenai Peninsula College. The student participant displayed meaningful growth in vowel pronunciation. Bringing back the Dena'ina language was noted as being healing for the participants, their families, and the community.