The Osage Nation Language Department recognized participants who attended the inaugural “Lunch with Language” course this spring during the final class meeting on May 11.
The Lunch with Language course targets students, especially government employees, who may not be able to attend weeknight language courses when they are typically held during fall and spring sessions. This past session’s courses were held Wednesdays during the noon lunch hour.
Language instructor and student recruiter Rebekah HorseChief teaches the Lunch with Language course at the department’s main office in Pawhuska. She said the course introduces students to the Osage orthography and they learn basic sentences in the Osage language.
The inaugural session’s students were presented with certificates of completion for the class. It reads: “Thank you for your commitment of time and effort to help preserve our Osage language.”
HorseChief said the next session of “Lunch with Language” is slated to begin in July during the Independence Day holiday week.
HorseChief also offers a “Spotlight on Language” audio clip on the Nation’s main Web page at www.osagetribe.com. The audio clips, typically updated weekly, feature a sentence or word in the Osage language and any pertinent history behind the language topic. For example, one word recently featured on “Spotlight on Language” is “In-Lon-Schka” or “dances.”
The Language Department offers classes at its classroom sites in Pawhuska, Hominy, Fairfax, Skiatook and Edmond as well as through other outreach programs. Contact the Language Department for more information at (918) 287-5505 or see its Web site at www.osagetribe.com/language.
By
Benny Polacca
Original Publish Date: 2011-06-08 00:00:00
