D. Baldwin discusses Myaamia language and well-being

Summary

The speaker, a director of the Meow-Meow project at Miami University, discusses the importance of their heritage language and its connection to the Mia Mia people's evolving life way. They emphasize that the language is not just for preservation but is a living expression tied to their identity and knowledge system. The project aims to revitalize the language and culture, positively impacting youth identity, cultural competence, and community engagement. The speaker highlights that language reclamation efforts have profound effects on the community's health and sense of belonging.

Takeaways

• 📚 The speaker has dedicated over twenty years to studying their heritage language and serves their community through the Meow-Meow project at Miami University.
• 🌐 The Meow-Meow project is a tribal initiative within an academic setting aimed at addressing the language and cultural educational needs of the Mia Mia people.
• 🌱 The speaker views their heritage language as an evolving lifeway rather than a static object to be preserved.
• 🔗 The language is connected to a knowledge system that defines the Mia Mia people's identity and binds them to their ancestral lands.
• 🌟 The language is not just historical but is relevant to contemporary life and can inform current ways of being.
• 🌿 The concept of health in their language, 'now Hemet asana wingait,' translates to 'living well' or 'living properly,' emphasizing a holistic view of well-being.
• 💡 The term 'Nicolo' in their language signifies awareness, wisdom, and knowledge, underscoring the importance of seeking knowledge for personal and community health.
• 🌱 Since the 1990s, language and cultural revitalization efforts have led to improved youth identity, cultural competence, and community engagement.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Learning about their ethnic identity has a positive impact on young people's self-esteem and prepares them for life success.
• 🌟 The restoration of the Mia Mia identity has profound effects on community health and the ability to actively participate in a global society.
• 👥 Speaking the Mia Mia language strengthens personal connections to the community and helps interpret the world to better serve the community and family.

Q & A

What is the Meow-Meow project?

The Meow-Meow project is a tribal initiative within an academic setting at Miami University, aimed at addressing the language and cultural educational needs of the Mia Mia people.

How long has the speaker been studying their heritage language?

The speaker has been a student of their heritage language for approximately twenty years.

What does the speaker believe the purpose of their language is?

The speaker views their language as an evolving life way, tied to a knowledge system that defines their people and their perspective on the world, rather than just an object to be preserved.

How does the speaker's language relate to the concept of health?

In the speaker's language, health is expressed as 'now Hemet asana wingait,' which translates to 'living well' or 'living properly,' indicating that well-being is more than just physical health.

What is the term 'Nicolo' in the speaker's language and what does it signify?

The term 'Nicolo' has multiple meanings and generally evokes the notion of awareness, wisdom, and knowledge, emphasizing the importance of seeking knowledge to improve one's condition as a human being.

How does the speaker's language and cultural revitalization efforts impact the community?

The efforts have led to improvements in youth identity formation, cultural competence, community engagement, and strengthening of intergenerational kinship bonds.

What benefits does learning the Meow-Meow language have for the youth?

Learning the Meow-Meow language as an additive feature of education helps build a young person's self-esteem and prepares them to succeed in life by feeling good about their ethnic identity.

What challenges has the Meow-Meow community faced historically?

The Meow-Meow community has experienced forced relocations, loss of homelands, oppression of their identity, and generations of cultural shame.

How does the speaker believe language reclamation efforts contribute to the community's health?

The speaker believes that language reclamation efforts have created a pathway towards collective health for the people by restoring their identity and allowing them to become active participants in a global society.

Why is speaking the heritage language important to the speaker personally?

Speaking the heritage language connects the speaker to an ongoing human experience that is generations old, strengthens them on a personal level, and helps them interpret their world and respond to the needs of their community and family.

What is the broader goal of the speaker's language and cultural revitalization work?

The broader goal is to enhance the general well-being of the community by reconnecting with their knowledge system and way of knowing, which positively affects their identity and sense of belonging.