“Outpouring Hearts and Minds through Literacy and English
Proficiency”
Language is central to cultural in identity. Language
enhances self-esteem and pride which promotes effective social adjustment.
Language expresses the world view of its speaker, the uniqueness of a culture
in terms of food, housing, clothing. Language is the principle means by which culture
is brought together, shared and transmitted to successive generations.
Our language embodies a value system about how we live and
relate to each other. It gives a name to relationships among kin, to roles and
responsibilities among family members, to ties with broader groups. There are
no English words for these relationships because, in general, social and family
lives are different from ours. If our language is destroyed, these
relationships break down and will inevitably destroy other aspects of our way
of life and culture, especially those that describe man’s connection with
nature, the Great Spirit and the order of things. Without our language, we will
cease to exist as a unique people.