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David Stanley Ford

Norman students hope film helps rescue native tongues
Norman club interviewed tribal elders for award-winning language documentary

BY JENNIFER GRISWOLD    Comments Comment on this article3
Published: January 12, 2009

NORMAN — A documentary about the dying languages of American Indian tribes has received state honors for a group of Norman students, and is being used in classrooms as a teaching tool.

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Norman students create documentary

Jan 12Students in Norman create a documentary concerning Native Americans.

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Indian art show set
NORMAN – Kicking off a full year of American Indian and Western American artwork, the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art unveils its first exhibition for 2009 at 7 p.m. Jan. 23. "Borderlands: Images of the American West” reveals a look at the Western United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A guest lecture by Dean Porter, director emeritus at the Snite Museum of Art at University of Notre Dame, will accompany the exhibition’s opening at 6 p.m. For more information, call 325-4938.

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If you want to see the documentary, go online to video.google.com and search for the title "When It’s Gone, It’s Gone.”

"This video really tells a story, sends a message, informs people, and maybe it will create some change."
 Judith Blake Norman High School’s Native American Club sponsor

Students in Norman High School’s Native American Club were recognized recently by state Education Department officials for their documentary, titled "When It’s Gone, It’s Gone.”

The students interviewed tribal elders representing American Indian tribes in Oklahoma and asked them about their native languages and the struggle to keep their languages and cultures alive.

Most of the elders on the video are in their 80s and have witnessed the languages of their tribes dying out as the younger generations were raised in an English-speaking society.

Oklahoma has 39 federally recognized tribes, and many are losing their languages with few fluent speakers left, said Desa Dawson, director of world languages for the state Education Department.

Mosiah Bluecloud, a former Norman High School student, said working on the documentary changed his life.

"I felt sad as I listened to them talk about their children. It kind of made me feel helpless,” he said.

Bluecloud, a Kickapoo, decided to change his major at the University of Oklahoma to linguistics, and he wants to become fluent in his native language.

Dawson said she’s received comments from high school and college language teachers across the state who’ve shown the video in their classes and used it to start discussions about the cultural importance of language.

The video has struck a chord with people, Dawson said.

"You express your culture through your language, and without that language, it makes it that much more difficult to maintain your culture,” Dawson said.

The 13 students who worked on the documentary and spoke to the elders learned a lot through the project, said Judith Blake, club sponsor.

Bluecloud said he’s surprised word about the film spread like it did.

"I hope it does something,” Bluecloud said. "I hope kids go to their grandparents and start learning words.”

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David Stanley Ford


Related Topics: Culture and Lifestyle, Language and Linguistics, Native American Issues


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The Indian Education Program at Norman Public Schools is to be commended for giving these students the opportunity to address this critical, highly relevant, and engaging project. The support and guidance of culturally-responsive educators, who gave these students the opportunity to create this wonderful vignette, are significant in light of the drop out rate of minority students among Oklahoma schools. When students are engaged and excited about learning, the possibilities are limitless and exciting. Kudos to the director and her staff at the Norman Public Schools' Indian Education Program!
Jacob, Norman - Jan 12, 2009 at 1:36 pm
Solid film.
Ed Lova, Oklahoma City - Jan 12, 2009 at 9:55 am
I hope this film becomes mandatory in all Oklahoma schools. What a shame if our Native American languages die. Thanks to all who are dedicated to seeing this doesn't happen.
Bob, Bedford - Jan 12, 2009 at 5:42 am
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