NATIVE AMERICAN LANGUAGE? There is an App for that
NATIVE AMERICAN LANGUAGE? There is an App for that.
By Jamie K. Oxendine, Lumbee
For those interested in Native American Languages, we recommend this APP from Native American Public Telecommunications Inc. titled easily enough “Native Language App.”
The App is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and other iPad devices. The App is free and can be obtained via the iTunes Store. At present, there are only 4 Native American Languages in the Application and they include Dine (Navajo), Lakota, Creek (Mvskoke) and Ponca with other languages to come.
According to Native American Public Telecommunications Inc., (NAPT), the App is simple and easy to use and is a fun way to learn “Native words from across Indian Country.”
The App does this by using large colorful images of animals to make the APP fun and interesting and to hopefully engage young minds.
It would seem that the main complaint is pronunciations of words on the APP are incorrect.
The most requested words people ask him to be translated into Cherokee are: 1. Osiyo =Hello 2. sidanelv = family 3. gvgeyuhi = I love you (lit. “I don’t want to share you”) 4. nvwadohiyada = true healing and peace be with you 5. gitli = dog 6. soquili = horse (lit. “it bears a burden”) 7. gowelvi = writings, book, Bible 8. walosi (wah-LOSH) = bullfrog, based on its call 9. idalena = let’s begin 10. dagasi (DOX-ey) = turtle 11. Elohino dohiyi gesesdi = There shall be peace on Earth.
Courtesy of: Brian Wilkes, Lumbee Indian is fluent in speaking and translating Cherokee and has authored numerous books.
Books: http://tuscanyglobal.com/catalog /
Cherokee Bible Project: http://tuscanyglobal.com/bible/
Email: FourRivers@TheNativeAmericanChurch.com
“The language, the whole culture of the Lakota, comes from the song of our heartbeat. It’s not something that can quickly be put into words. It’s a feeling, it’s a prayer, it’s a thought, it’s an emotion—all of these things are in the language.”
—Larry Swalley, Lakota
