But the good news is that some of these people are keeping their culture and language alive. They are also receiving help from the National Geographic Society’s Enduring Voices Project. The aim of the project is to help languages around the world which are dying out. Linguists and experts meet these ‘last speakers’. The team interview them and they are recorded with video, pictures and audio. They also tell old storied which are written down in English so people can learn more about the culture
Recording the language and culture is only part of the project. The next stage is to pass on the language to the next generation. Some children pick up some of the language from their parents or grandparents but many tribes also offer courses in the language. The Salish tribe is an excellent example of how schools can help. The tribe lives in the Flathead Reservation in Montana. Their language is currently spoken by about 50 people who are aged over 75 years. No one under 50 speaks the language. So now, the local people have set up a school. It has 30 students aged two to twelve during the day and there are also courses for adults in the evening. It is schools and projects like these which – hopefully – might save language for the future.