Language Chikashshanompa'
Decade of Chickasaw Language
Let's Speak Chickasaw!
Decade of Language Mission
Decade of Chickasaw Language 2022-2032
Luther John: Fluent Chickasaw Speakers
Speaker Profiles
Governor's Proclamation
Decade of Chickasaw Language 2022-2032
Annual Meeting
S1 • E38Decade of Chickasaw Language
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Governor Bill Anoatubby designated 2022 to 2032 as "Chikashshanompa' Ilanompoli'! (Let's Speak Chickasaw!): A Decade of Chickasaw Language." As it's a vital part of the tribe's rich cultural identity, the Chickasaw Nation is more committed than ever to the preservation and continuation of the Chickasaw Language. Come here to find an expanding collection of stories and explore the channel for interactive activities and resources to help shape your own journey to learn and preserve Chikashashanompa'.
Luther John: Fluent Chickasaw Speakers
Speaker ProfilesLuther John is a fluent Chickasaw speaker who has dedicated his life to language preservation.
Governor's Proclamation
Decade of Chickasaw Language 2022-2032Governor Bill Anoatubby proclaims 2022-2032 as the Decade of Chickasaw Language and offers an update on programs and services available to citizens.
Decade of Language Mission
Decade of Chickasaw Language 2022-2032Quin Tran is joined by Joshua Hinson to discuss the Governor's active proclamation to preserve the Chickasaw language.
Illustrator Promotes Language
PreservationChickasaw Lauren John uses her passion and creativity to illustrate traditional tribal stories that promote learning the Chickasaw language.
Virginia Bolen: Fluent Chickasaw Speakers
Speaker ProfilesFluent Chickasaw speaker Virginia Bolen shares her story.
Preserving Speakers' Voices
Chickasaw Fluent SpeakersChickasaw fluent speakers are recorded and transcribed for the essential work of language revitalization and preservation.
Chickasaw Language Public School Curriculum
Decade of Chickasaw Language 2022-2032Students at Byng and Ada high schools are connecting with Chickasaw culture and ancestors as language classes thrive.
Chickasaw Language Virtual Learning
Decade of Chickasaw Language 2022-2032Dr. Shannon Speed teaches the Chickasaw language to students around the country with virtual learning classes.
Language Revitalization Progress
Decade of Chickasaw Language 2022-2032The Chickasaw language remains strong through the dedication of speakers, new learners and resources to reconnect with the ancestral language.
Language Resources 2023
Decade of Chickasaw Language 2022-2032With a wide range of available resources and even more to come, there's never been a better time to get involved with the Chickasaw language!
Rosetta Stone Chickasaw
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Our language is the thread that binds us together. Immersive lessons, developed with Chickasaw native speakers and Rosetta Stone's award-winning online platform, will enable you to learn conversational Chickasaw phrases used in daily life. Everyone is invited to submit an application to access the full curriculum. The service is free for Chickasaw citizens. There is an associated cost for employees and the general public.
Rosetta Stone Chickasaw Episodes
Learn Your Native Language with Rosetta Stone ChickasawPreservation
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By speaking and sharing the language, Chickasaw people are ensuring its survival for many years to come. Here, discover how Chickasaw linguists and elders are working to preserve their ancestral tongue.
Illustrator Promotes Language
PreservationChickasaw Lauren John uses her passion and creativity to illustrate traditional tribal stories that promote learning the Chickasaw language.
The Voices of Our Ancestors
S1 • E2For centuries, Chickasaw passed down their sacred stories in their native tongue as oral histories, keeping the voices of their ancestors alive.
Preserving the Language
Emma McLeod and Ellen ChapmanEllen Chapman and Emma McLeod explain that teaching the native language helps to preserve Chickasaw culture and heritage for future generations.
The Timeless Dish of Pashofa
A Chickasaw Culinary TraditionPashofa is a traditional Chickasaw & Choctaw dish made from cracked corn, or hominy, and stewed pork.
Picking Wild Onions
A Chickasaw Culinary TraditionNative Americans, and Chickasaws in particular, have a rich history of using wild onions in their cooking.
Chickasaw as a Living Language
Lisa BillyThough some Native American languages have been lost, Chickasaw continues to thrive as a living language.
Importance of My Native Language
Lisa BillyWhen Lisa Billy's children reached school age, she knew they would never be taught the history of their own people if they went to public school.
Survival of the Chickasaw Language
Catherine Willmond and Pamela MunroChickasaw is an endangered language, but its chances of survival are much better thanks to the life's work of fluent speaker Catherine Willmond.
Joshua Hinson
S7 • E6Joshua Hinson, Director of the Department of Chickasaw Language, is passionate about language and how it emulates culture.
Hearing Elders Speaking Chickasaw
Lisa BillyLisa Billy recalls growing up, hearing a large group of elders speaking and praying in Chickasaw, and how it ignited her desire to learn it.
Reviving the Chickasaw Language
Joshua HinsonJoshua Hinson talks about the efforts to revitalization the Chickasaw language.
The Chickasaw Language Committee
Joshua HinsonThe Chickasaw Language Committee was organized in the 1990s and is comprised of fluent speakers appointed by the Governor.
New Words: The Language Evolves
Joshua HinsonJoshua Hinson explains how the Language Committee creates new words & how the vocabulary has developed over time through language revitalization.
Joshua Hinson's Goal to Become Fluent
The Chickasaw NationJoshua Hinson expresses his goal of becoming a fluent speaker of the Chickasaw language.
Drawn to Our Language
Joshua HinsonJoshua Hinson describes his fine arts background and explains how he became drawn to art history and native language revitalization.
Sharing Our Language Connects Us
Lisa BillyChickasaw speaker Lisa Billy observes that when visitors at the Cultural Center see Chickasaw words around campus it prompts other phrases.
Using the Language to Engage Audiences
Lisa BillyTeaching a class, Lisa has used her ability to speak Chickasaw to regain students' attention.
A Linguist's Appreciation of the Chickasaw Language
Pamela MunroPamela Munro is a linguistics professor at University of California at Los Angeles.
JoAnn Ellis: Teacher of the Chickasaw Language
JoAnn EllisJoAnn Ellis remembers learning both Chickasaw and English beginning in her early youth.
Fluent Speakers
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Chickasaw fluent speakers are the driving force in language preservation. Their willingness to share their priceless knowledge with younger generations is essential to the language's survival.
Luther John: Fluent Chickasaw Speakers
Speaker ProfilesLuther John is a fluent Chickasaw speaker who has dedicated his life to language preservation.
Don't Speak Chickasaw
S4 • E5Chickasaw elders remember times when they were not allowed to speak their native language.
Rose Shields-Jefferson Shares Childhood Memories
S4 • E4Fluent Chickasaw speaker Rose Shields-Jefferson shares childhood memories about going to school and speaking only Chickasaw.
Church at Christmastime
S4 • E2Chickasaw elders share joyous stories of Christmas memories speaking in their native language.
Virginia Bolen: Fluent Chickasaw Speakers
Speaker ProfilesFluent Chickasaw speaker Virginia Bolen shares her story.
Preserving Speakers' Voices
Chickasaw Fluent SpeakersChickasaw fluent speakers are recorded and transcribed for the essential work of language revitalization and preservation.
Memories of Kullihoma
S4 • E1Fluent elders share early memories of speaking Chickasaw and the challenges they faced teaching the language to their own children.
Stanley Smith: Department of Chickasaw Language
The Chickasaw NationMeet Stanley Smith, the senior language master at the Chickasaw Department of Language.
JoAnn Ellis: Department of Chickasaw Language
The Chickasaw NationMeet JoAnn Ellis, language specialist at the Chickasaw Department of Language.
Rose Shields-Jefferson: Chickasaw Fluent Speaker
The Chickasaw NationRose Shields-Jefferson is a Chickasaw fluent speaker who grew up speaking only Chickasaw.
Meet My Mother, Fluent in Our Language
Nacobi Walker, Joann Ellis, and Johnna WalkerJohnna Walker describes how her mother helps keep the Chickasaw language alive for new speakers.
Pauline Brown: Fluent Chickasaw Speaker
The Chickasaw NationMeet Pauline Carpenter Brown, fluent Chickasaw speaker and Chickasaw Hall of Fame inductee.
Fluent Speakers Sing Hymn
The Chickasaw NationPauline Brown and Jerry Imotichey lead Chickasaw fluent speakers singing a hymn from a Choctaw hymnal.
Chickasaw as a Primary Language
Catherine WillmondCatherine Willmond is a Chickasaw fluent speaker, an award winning author and a teacher of the Chickasaw language.
JoAnn and Jeremy
JoAnn and Jeremy EllisChickasaw fluent speaker JoAnn Ellis explains why the mission of language revitalization is so important to her.
Jerry Imotichey: Chickasaw Fluent Speaker
The Chickasaw NationJerry Imotichey was a Chickasaw fluent speaker and held an immense amount of pride in his tribe.
Hannah Corsello: Chickasaw Fluent Speaker
The Chickasaw NationHannah Corsello is one of the remaining Native fluent speakers of the Chickasaw language.
Hannah Corsello and Rick Greenwood
Master-ApprenticeHannah Corsello says new speakers hold the future of the Chickasaw language in their hands.
Emma McLeod and Ellen Chapman
Emma McLeod and Ellen ChapmanEllen Chapman expresses her joy at learning her native language from a revered community elder.
Fluent Speakers Sing The Gospel
The Chickasaw NationChickasaw fluent speakers sing "The Gospel" from a collection of Choctaw hymns.
Traditional Stories
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Long before the written word, traditional Chickasaw stories were passed down orally from generation to generation. Hear them told by fluent Chickasaw speakers.
Long Ago the Crayfish Made the Land
S3 • E84In episode 84 of Rosetta Stone Chickasaw, after the crawdad boil, Lili' tells a traditional Chickasaw story.
Long Ago Turkey Put On Hair Around His Neck
S3 • E88In episode 88 of Rosetta Stone Chickasaw, Grandpa Charlie tells Taloowa' and Nashoba a traditional Chickasaw story.
Long Ago Rabbit's Tail Was Long
S3 • E95In episode 95 of Rosetta Stone Chickasaw, Lili' tells the traditional Chickasaw story, "Long Ago Rabbit's Tail Was Long."
Long Ago Turtle's Shell Was Cracked
S3 • E97In episode 97 of Rosetta Stone Chickasaw, Grandpa Charlie tells Taloowa' and Nashoba a traditional Chickasaw story.
One Time Crow Lost His Beak
S3 • E99In episode 99 of Rosetta Stone Chickasaw, see and hear an animated traditional Chickasaw story, "One Time Crow Lost His Beak."
Long Ago Skunk Was Big
S3 • E103In episode 103 of Rosetta Stone Chickasaw, after seeing a skunk outside, Charlie tells the traditional Chickasaw story, "Long Ago Skunk Was Big."
Long Ago Duck Sang to the Coyote Cubs
S3 • E108In episode 108 of Rosetta Stone Chickasaw, Charlie narrates the traditional Chickasaw story, "Long Ago Duck Sang to the Coyote Cubs."
Long Ago Rabbit Tricked Two Snakes
S3 • E113In episode 113 of Rosetta Stone Chickasaw, Charlie tells the traditional Chickasaw story, "Long Ago Rabbit Tricked Two Snakes."
Long Ago They Divided the Day and Night
S3 • E117In episode 117 of Rosetta Stone Chickasaw, Lili' tells the traditional Chickasaw story, "Long Ago They Divided the Day and Night."
Snake Woman
S3 • E119In episode 119 of Rosetta Stone Chickasaw, Charlie tells Nashoba the traditional Chickasaw story "Snake Woman" after he finds two duck eggs.
Long Ago Possum's Tail Was Furry
S3 • E111In episode 111 of Rosetta Stone Chickasaw, Lili' tells Taloowa' and Nashoba the traditional Chickasaw story, "Long Ago Possum's Tail Was Furry."
Taloowa' Tells Them a Story
S3 • E114In episode 114 of Rosetta Stone Chickasaw, Taloowa' tells the children a traditional story at the Kids Speaking Chickasaw meeting.
Long Ago Possum's Mouth Was Stretched Out
S3 • E115In episode 115 of Rosetta Stone Chickasaw, Charlie tells the traditional Chickasaw story, "Long Ago Possum's Mouth Was Stretched Out."
Resources
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Though its roots are ancient, the Chickasaw language is very much alive today because of fluent speakers and resources like these. Listen and learn with easy instructional videos, discover language-learning programs and check out an accessible web app.
Listen and Learn
Practice Chickasaw Words & Phrases
Programs
Learn the Chickasaw Language
A Chickasaw Dictionary
Search, Listen and Learn
Language Web App
Accessible From Your Browser
iOS Mobile App
For iOS Devices on the Apple App StoreOne Tribe One Mission
"Our mission to enhance the overall quality of life of the Chickasaw people will continue to serve as our guidepost as we work together to build an even brighter future"
Bill Anoatubby, Governor
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