Losing a Native Language

Dottie Lyda

Dottie Lyda tells a story, all too common among Native American elders, of being sent to a boarding school where speaking their native language and taking part in cultural traditions was prohibited – and the ripple effect that occurred once these students grew up and were unable to teach Chickasaw to their children. Though the renaissance in language education may have come too late for some, the Chickasaw Nation is working to ensure that the birthright of all citizens is never again deprived them.

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Stanley Smith was raised speaking Chickasaw and did not speak English until well into his childhood when he began attending school.

Te Ata's Roots in Boarding School

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Lona Barrick recounts the early childhood of Te Ata, who attended Bloomfield Academy with her sisters in the early 1900s.