Spoken in southeastern Alaska and western Canada, Tlingit belongs to the Athabaskan language family. It counts around 400 speakers, which says a lot on its level of endangerment. And like all endangered languages, its transmission to the younger generations is crucial to its survival. To convince children to use it, the language must also be a device of leisure and entertainment…

Tlingit writer Ernestine Hayes is aware of that, and that is probably one of the reasons that drew her to write The Story of the Town Bear and the Forest Bear, inspired by the famous town mouse and country mouse fable. Written in English and intended for children, the tale was then translated into Tlingit by elder tribesmen. The book entitled Aanka Xóodzi ka Aasgutu Xóodzi Shkalneegi was released a month ago.

The Guardian article also addresses the complicated shift from oral to written language: how do you translate « car », « bear-proof garbage can » or « hamburger » in a language that of course used no such words until the colonists arrived…?

Be that as it may, the publication raises hope, and especially that of acquainting youngsters to the language while the elders are disappearing one after the other.

Parallels between the fate of the Tlingit and the fate of the story bears come about rather easily. As publisher Liz Dodd tells the Guardian: « Ernestine’s tale asks today’s younger generation to think about where they come from, who they are, and who they may choose to become – in terms of their relationship to the rainforest that surrounds them and its still-abundant food resources, [and] their relationships with relatives and friends. »

Free copies of the book are being delivered to Tlingit language teachers and students in South East Alaska. An audiobook of the Tlingit version is also available.

Click here for The Guardian full-length article

Click here for more information on the book, and download audiobook for free