Tewa language facts for kids

Tewa is a Tanoan language spoken by Pueblo people, mostly in the Rio Grande valley in New Mexico north of Santa Fe, and in Arizona. It is also known as Tano, or (archaic) Tée-wah.

Dialects and usage

The 1980 census counted 1,298 speakers, almost all of whom are bilingual in English. Each pueblo or reservation where it is spoken has a dialect:

• Nambe Pueblo: 50 speakers (1980); 34 speakers (2004)
• Pojoaque Pueblo: 25 speakers (1980)
• San Ildefonso Pueblo (P'ohwhóge Owingeh): 349 speakers
• Ohkay Owingeh: 495 speakers (1980)
• Santa Clara Pueblo: 207 speakers (1980)
• Tesuque Pueblo: 172 speakers (1980)

As of 2012, Tewa is defined as "severely endangered" in New Mexico by UNESCO.

In the names "Pojoaque" and "Tesuque", the element spelled "que" (pronounced something like [ɡe] in Tewa, or /ki/ in English) is Tewa for "place".

Tewa can be written with the Latin script; this is occasionally used for such purposes as signs (Be-pu-wa-ve, "Welcome", or sen-ge-de-ho, "Bye"). Because alphabet systems have been developed in the different pueblos, Tewa has a variety of orthographies rather than a single standardized alphabet. The written form of the language is not as ubiquitous as in languages such as Cherokee or Navajo, because some Tewa speakers feel that the language should be passed on through the oral tradition. The Tewa language was a spoken language through the 1960s; digital language documentation efforts were underway as of 1995.

Phonology

The phonemes of Rio Grande Tewa are as follows:

Consonants

Vowels

Language revitalization

Esther Martinez, who lived to be 94 years old, was nationally known for her commitment to preserving the Tewa language. Her San Juan Pueblo Tewa Dictionary was published in 1982. The Esther Martinez Native American Languages Preservation Act is named for her, and as of Sept. 15, 2012, members of the New Mexico congressional delegation have introduced legislation to extend the program for another five years.

Tewa language programs are available for children in most of the Tewa-speaking pueblos. The Santa Clara Pueblo Tewa Language Revitalization Program also sponsors cultural activities, such as visiting Crow Canyon.

Children's stories in Tewa have been digitized by the University of New Mexico, and are available online.

A 2012 documentary film, "The Young Ancestors", follows a group of teenagers from Santa Fe Preparatory School as they learn the Tewa language in a self-study program with the help of a mentor, seventh grade literature teacher Laura Kaye Eagles.

See also

In Spanish: Idioma tegua para niños