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.
The Chickasaw Language Committee was organized in the 1990s and is comprised of fluent speakers appointed by the Governor. The group works to develop new words to describe aspects of modern life not originally represented in the Chickasaw vocabulary. Creating new words is an important function, so Chickasaw continues to be a living language, evolving in the same manner as other languages.