Last living speaker works to keep NorCal tribe's language alive

The Arizona Daily Star - Tucson, AR

CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. (AP) — As a child in the 1950s, Loretta Kelsey grew up hearing the sounds of Elem Pomo, an 8,000-year-old dialect spoken by early peoples of Northern California along the shores of Clear Lake in Lake County.

Since then, as an older generation passed away, the language they spoke went with them. According to scholars, 59-year-old Kelsey is the last fluent speaker of Elem Pomo alive today.
But Kelsey is not content to let her native language die with her. Instead, she has teamed up with a prominent University of California linguist to teach and document Elem Pomo to keep its words — and the culture they represent — alive in the 21st century.

"Our language is really right here. It's in our ceremonies, our lives, our people, our ways," Kelsey said, gesturing to her reservation along the lake's southern edge. "You keep the language alive, you help keep all of this alive."

When Kelsey was growing up, her mother spoke no English, only Elem Pomo. At the time, many members of the 250-person tribe were fluent. The past decades have seen members die off, join new churches or leave the reservation for jobs.

The complete article is here: http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/203904