Survey of California and Other Indian Languages facts for kids
The Survey of California and Other Indian Languages is a special group at the University of California at Berkeley. It helps to study, organize, and keep records of the many different Native American languages spoken in California and other parts of the Americas. This group also holds events to help bring these languages back to life and make sure they are not forgotten.
How the Survey Started
The Survey began as a small project in 1953. It was started by two professors from Berkeley: Murray Emeneau and Mary Haas. They wanted to create a place where people could study and learn about these important languages.
Mary Haas was very important in the early days of the Survey. She helped create a friendly and dedicated environment for studying languages. The first big project for the Survey was a study of the Karuk language. This work was done by William Bright, who was a student at the time.
Leaders of the Survey
Over the years, several important people have led the Survey. Besides Mary Haas, Wallace Chafe and Leanne Hinton have also been directors. Today, the Survey is led by Andrew Garrett.
Related Topics
- Classification of indigenous languages of the Americas
- Indigenous languages of California
- Native American groups in California
- History of Native Americans in California
- Traditional narratives (Native California)
- Population of Native California
