Lucille Watahomigie facts for kids
Lucille Watahomigie (born in 1945 in Valentine, Arizona) is a special Hualapai teacher and expert in languages. She is a native speaker of the Hualapai language. She has worked hard to help her language and culture thrive.
Early Life and Education
Lucille Watahomigie grew up in the Hualapai community. She went to Northern Arizona University and earned a degree in elementary education. This prepared her to become a teacher. After college, she returned to Peach Springs. There, she started teaching at the local school.
She continued her studies at the University of Arizona. She earned her master's degree there. For three years, she even taught as a professor at the university.
Champion for Hualapai Language
In 1975, Lucille returned to the Hualapai Nation. The community wanted their language and culture to be taught in schools. So, she started the Hualapai bilingual and bicultural education program. This program helped children learn in both Hualapai and English. It also taught them about their culture.
In 1982, she helped write an important book. It was called "Hualapai Reference Grammar." This was the first complete grammar book for her language. She also helped create a dictionary. She was key in making a practical way to write the Hualapai language. This writing system is called an orthography.
Saving Native Languages
Lucille Watahomigie did even more to help native languages. In 1987, she started the American Indian Language Development Institute (AILDI). This institute is at the University of Arizona. AILDI trains many teachers and experts in native languages. It helps to keep native languages alive and strong. This work happens in Arizona and all over the country.
AILDI was so successful that it inspired another institute. The Canadian Indigenous Languages and Literacy Development Institute (CILLDE) started in 1999. Lucille has taught at AILDI since it began. She continues to teach there often. She has also written other books and articles. These works focus on teaching in two languages, plants, and language revitalization.
