Gros Ventre language facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gros Ventre |
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|---|---|
| 'ɔ'ɔ́ɔ́ɔ́naakíit'ɔ | |
| Native to | United States |
| Region | Montana |
| Ethnicity | Gros Ventre |
| Extinct | 2007, with the death of Theresa Lamebull |
| Language family |
Algic
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| Official status | |
| Official language in |  United States(  Fort Belknap Indian Community, MT) |
Historical extent of the language
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Atsina, also known as Gros Ventre, was the special language of the Gros Ventre people. They are a Native American tribe living in Montana, USA. The language is also called A’ani or ʔɔʔɔɔɔniiih. For a while, it seemed like the language might disappear forever. The last person who spoke it fluently passed away in 2007. But don't worry! People are working hard to bring the language back to life.
The Story of the Gros Ventre Language
The Atsina language is closely related to the Arapaho language. Experts often call them "Arapaho-Atsina" because they are like two parts of the same language family. Long ago, this language had five different ways of speaking, or dialects.
One amazing person who helped save the language was Theresa Lamebull. She taught Atsina at Fort Belknap College. This college is now called Aaniiih Nakoda College. When she was 109 years old, she even helped create a dictionary for the language. She used a special tool called a Phraselator to record words.
Thanks to efforts like hers, the language is being learned again. In 2006, only 11 students were learning Atsina at the White Clay Immersion School. By 2012, this number grew to 26 students! This shows that the Gros Ventre language is coming back to life.
