Lindsay Morcom: A history of Indigenous languages -- and how to revitalize them | TED

譯者: Val Zhang 審譯者: Helen Chang

Dene Elder Paul Disain said,

甸尼族長老──保羅迪桑說過：

"Our language and culture

「人們看待世界的方式， 因語言和文化而異。」

is the window through which we see the world."

在龜島，

And on Turtle Island,

what is now known as North America,

也就是現在大家熟知的北美，

there're so many unique and wonderful ways to see the world.

有許多獨特而奇妙的觀點 去看待這個世界。

As a person of Indigenous heritage,

作為原住民後裔，

I'm interested in learning Anishinaabemowin,

我對學習家族傳統語言 奧傑布瓦語感興趣，

which is my heritage language,

because it lets me see the world through that window.

因為它讓我從那個角度去看世界。

It lets me connect with my family,

它使我與家人、祖先、 社群和文化保持聯繫。

my ancestors, my community, my culture.

And lets me think about how I can pass that on

也讓我思考如何傳承給後代。

to future generations.

As a linguist,

作為一名語言學家，

我對語言的整體功能感興趣。

I'm interested in how language functions generally.

I can look at phonetics and phonology --

我可以鑽研語音和語音學。

speech sounds.

I can look at morphology, or the structure of words.

我可以鑽研形態或單詞的結構。

I can look at syntax,

我可以鑽研語法，

which is the structure of sentences and phrases,

也就是句子和短語中的結構，

to learn about how humans store language in our brains

藉此瞭解大腦如何儲存語言，

and how we use it to communicate with one another.

以及如何用它和別人交流。

For example,

舉例來說，

奧傑布瓦語與多數原住民語言一樣，

Anishinaabemowin, like most Indigenous languages,

is what's called polysynthetic,

也是所謂的多元綜合語，

這意味著它有很長的單詞，

which means that there are very, very long words,

composed of little tiny pieces called morphemes.

由小片段的「語素」組成。

So I can say, in Anishinaabemowin, "niwiisin," "I eat,"

因此，我可以用奧傑布瓦語

一個詞 niwiisin 說「我吃」。

which is one word.

I can say "nimino-wiisin," "I eat well,"

我也可以用一個詞 nimino-wiisin 來說「我吃得好」。

which is still one word.

I can say "nimino-naawakwe-wiisin," "I eat a good lunch,"

我可以用 nimino-naawakwe-wiisin 說「我吃一頓美好的午餐」，

which is how many words in English?

這有多少個英語單詞呢？

Five words in English, a single word in Anishinaabemowin.

5 個英文單詞， 1 個奧傑布瓦語的單詞。

Now, I've got a bit of a quiz for you.

我為你們準備了一些測驗。

In a one-word answer, what color is that slide?

用一個詞回答， 這張投影片是什麼顏色？

Audience: Green.

觀眾：綠色。

Lindsay Morcom: What color is that slide?

講者：這張投影片是什麼顏色？

觀眾：綠色。

Audience: Green.

講者：這張投影片是什麼顏色？

LM: What color is that slide?

Audience: Blue.

觀眾：藍色

LM: And what color is that slide?

講者：這張投影片是什麼顏色？

(Audience murmurs)

（聽眾雜音）

Not trick questions, I promise.

講者：保證沒有捉弄大家。

For you as English speakers,

對於你們，作為英語使用者，

you saw two green slides and two blue slides.

你會看到綠、藍各 2 張投影片。

But the way that we categorize colors varies across languages,

但人們分類顏色的方式，因語言而異，

so if you had been Russian speakers,

因此，如果你說俄語，

you would have seen two slides that were different shades of green,

你會看到 2 張投影片的 綠色深淺不同，

one that was "goluboy," which is light blue,

1 張是 goluboy，是淺藍色，

one that is "siniy," dark blue.

1 張是 siniy， 深藍。

And those are seen as different colors.

這些被視為不同的顏色。

If you were speakers of Anishinaabemowin,

如果你說奧傑布瓦語，

you would have seen slides that were Ozhaawashkwaa

那麼您會看到 Ozhaawashkwaa

or Ozhaawashkozi, which means either green or blue.

或 Ozhaawashkozi，即綠色或藍色。

It's not that speakers don't see the colors,

並非他們看不見顏色的差異，

it's that the way they categorize them and the way that they understand shades

而是他們以不同方式 分類顏色及深淺。

is different.

At the same time,

同時，

there are universals in the ways that humans categorize color,

人類分類顏色的方式也存在共通性，

and that tells us about how human brains

這告訴我們人腦如何理解和表達所見。

understand and express what they're seeing.

Anishinaabemowin does another wonderful thing,

奧傑布瓦語有另一項美好的特性，

which is animate, inanimate marking on all words.

是在所有單詞上都標記 有或沒有生命。

So it's not unlike how French and Spanish

這就像法語和西班牙語 把所有的名詞分成陰陽詞性。

mark all words as either masculine or feminine.

Anishinaabemowin and other Algonquian languages

奧傑布瓦語和其他阿岡昆語族的語言

mark all words as either animate or inanimate.

將名詞分為：有生命或無生命。

The things that you would think to be animate are animate,

有些與直覺相同──你認為 有生命、有脈搏的事物：

things that have a pulse: people, animals, growing plants.

人類、動物、生長的植物。

But there are other things that are animate

但還有些你不會想到 有生命的東西，例如岩石。

that you might not guess, like rocks.

Rocks are marked as animate,

岩石被標記為有生命，

and that tells us really interesting things about grammar,

這告訴我們文法中的趣味，

and it also tells us really interesting things

也讓我們知道有趣的事──

about how Anishinaabemowin speakers

關於說奧傑布瓦語的人

relate to and understand the world around them.

如何理解周遭世界並與之聯繫。

Now, the sad part of that

現在，不幸的是，

is that Indigenous languages are in danger.

原住民語正瀕臨滅絕。

原住民語擁有豐富的文化與歷史知識，

Indigenous languages that posses so much knowledge of culture,

of history,

of ways to relate to one another,

和別人以及與環境互動的方式。

of ways to relate to our environment.

Having been on this land since time immemorial,

這些語言自古在這片土地上生活，

these languages have developed here

它們在這裡發展，

and they contain priceless environmental knowledge

它們包含無價的環境知識，

that helps us relate well to the land on which we live.

可以幫助我們與所居住的土地 建立良好的聯繫。

但實際上，它們瀕臨滅絕。

But they are, in fact, in danger.

The vast majority of Indigenous languages in North America

北美大多數原住民語被列為瀕臨滅絕，

are considered endangered,

and those that are not endangered are vulnerable.

而未受到威脅的原住民語 則被列為「脆弱」的。

That is by design.

這是人為導向使然。

In our laws, in our policies,

在我們的法律、政策、管理機構中，

in our houses of governance,

there have been stated attempts

曾有人正式表明要消滅

to eliminate Indigenous languages and cultures in this country.

我國的原住民語和文化。

Duncan Campbell Scott

鄧肯·坎貝爾·斯科特

was one of the architects of the residential school system.

是寄宿制學校的創立者之一。

On tabling a bill that required mandatory residential school attendance

在 1920 年提出法案： 要求原住民兒童強制住校，

for Indigenous children in 1920, he said,

他說：「我想擺脫印第安人的問題。

"I want to get rid of the Indian problem.

Our objective is to continue

我們的目標是繼續進行下去，

until there is not a single Indian in Canada

直到加拿大每位印第安人 都被政治機構接收，

that has not been absorbed into the body politic

and there is no Indian question, and no Indian Department;

沒有印第安人的問題， 也沒有印第安人的部門；

that is the whole object of this Bill."

那是本條例草案的目的。」

The atrocities that occurred in residential schools were documented.

有文件記載寄宿學校發生的暴行。

In 1907,

在 1907 年，

P.H. Bryce, who was a doctor and an expert in tuberculosis,

身為醫生的結核病專家 P.H. 布萊斯

published a report that found that in some schools,

發表了一份報告， 他發現在某些學校中，

25 percent of children had died from tuberculosis epidemics

25% 的兒童死於因學校條件 造成的結核病流行。

created by the conditions in the schools.

In other schools, up to 75 percent of children had died.

在部分學校，高達 75% 的兒童死亡。

He was defunded by federal government

他因其發現而被聯邦政府停止資助，

for his findings,

forced into retirement in 1921,

並於 1921 年被迫退休，

and in 1922, published his findings widely.

在 1922 年廣泛地發表了他的研究。

And through that time,

在那段時間裡，

Indigenous children were taken from their homes,

原住民兒童被從家中帶走，

taken from their communities

從社區中帶走，

and forced into church-run residential schools

被迫帶入教堂經營的寄宿學校，

where they suffered, in many cases,

許多人遭受了不同面向的虐待， 包括：情感、身體、性

serious emotional, physical and sexual abuse,

and in all cases, cultural abuse,

及各種文化虐待，

as these schools were designed

因為這些學校旨在 消除原住民語和文化。

to eliminate Indigenous language and culture.

The last residential school closed in 1996.

最後一所寄宿學校於 1996 年關閉。

Until that time, 150,000 children or more attended residential schools

在那之前，全國 139 個機構中 15 萬名以上兒童就讀於寄宿學校。

at 139 institutions across the country.

In 2007,

在 2007 年，

the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement came into effect.

《印第安人寄宿學校和解協議》生效。

It's the largest class action lawsuit in Canadian history.

這是加拿大歷史上最大的集體訴訟。

It set aside 60 million dollars

它撥出 6 千萬加元，成立加拿大 真相與和解委員會（TRC）。

for the establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.

The TRC gifted us with the ability to hear survivor stories,

TRC 讓我們聽到倖存者的故事，

to hear impacts on communities and families

聽到對社區和家庭的影響，

and to gain access to research

並獲得研究的機會，

that explored the full effect of residential schools

這些研究探討全面的影響，

對寄宿學校、

on Indigenous communities and on Canada as a whole.

對原住民社區，

和對加拿大整體。

The TRC found that residential schools

TRC 發現，寄宿學校構成了 所謂的「文化滅絕」。

constituted what's called cultural genocide.

They state that, "Physical genocide is the mass killing of the members

他們指出：「種族滅絕── 是對目標群體成員的大規模殺害，

of a targeted group,

生物滅絕──是對該群體 繁衍後代能力的迫害，

biological genocide is the destruction of that group's reproductive capacity.

And cultural genocide is the destruction of those structures and practices

文化滅絕──是使該族群 組織和習俗崩解離析的破壞。」

that allow the group to continue as a group."

The stated goals of Duncan Campbell Scott.

正是鄧肯·斯科特表明的目標。

So they find that it's cultural genocide,

因此，他們發現這構成了文化滅絕，

although as children's author

正如兒童作家和偉大的演講者 大衛·布沙德所說的，

and a great speaker David Bouchard points out,

when you build a building,

你蓋座建築物， 並在旁邊建造座墓地，

and you build a cemetery next to that building,

because you know the people going into that building are going to die,

因為你心知肚明 進入該建築物的人即將死亡，

what do you call that?

你說這是什麼？

The TRC also gifted us with 94 calls to action,

TRC 也分享了 94 個號召行動，

beacons that can lead the way forward as we work to reconciliation.

引導我們努力實現和解。

Several of those pertain directly to language and culture.

其中部分與語言和文化直接有關。

The TRC calls us to ensure adequate, funded education,

TRC 要求我們確保提供 適當的、有經費的教育，

including language and culture.

語言和文化包括在內。

To acknowledge Indigenous rights, including language rights.

要承認原住民權利，包括語言權利。

To create an Aboriginal Languages Act

制定《原住民語言法》，

aimed at acknowledging and preserving Indigenous languages,

旨在承認和保護原住民語，

with attached funding.

並提供經費。

To create a position for an Aboriginal Languages Commissioner

要有推動原民語的委員職位，

and to develop postsecondary language programs

並開立原住民語高等教育學程，

as well as to reclaim place names that have been changed

以及收回在殖民期間已更改的地名。

through the course of colonization.

At the same time as the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement

《印第安寄宿學校和解協議》 生效的同時，

came into effect,

the United Nations adopted

聯合國於 2007 年通過了 《聯合國原住民族權利宣言》。

the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People

in 2007.

It states that Indigenous people have the right to establish and control

它指出，原住民有權 建立和控制其教育系統和機構，

their own education systems and institutions

providing education in their own languages,

並以適合該語言的教學方式提供教育。

in a manner appropriate to their cultural methods

of teaching and learning.

In 2007,

2007 年，該法案生效後， 4 個國家投了反對票。

when that was brought into effect,

four countries voted against it.

They were the United States, New Zealand, Australia

分別是：美國、紐西蘭、 澳大利亞和加拿大。

and Canada.

Canada adopted the United Nations

加拿大於 2010 年採用了 《聯合國原住民族權利宣言》。

Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People in 2010.

And in 2015, the government promised to bring it into effect.

2015 年，加拿大政府承諾將其生效。

So how are we collectively going to respond?

那麼，我們將如何共同應對？

Here's the situation that we're in.

這是我們所處的現況。

Of the 60 currently spoken Indigenous languages in Canada,

在加拿大目前使用的 60 種原住民語言中，

all but six are considered endangered by the United Nations.

除 6 種外，其他語言 均被聯合國視為瀕臨滅絕。

So, the six that aren't are Cree, Anishinaabemowin,

「安全」的 6 種語言分別是 克里語、奧傑布瓦語、

Stoney, Mi'kmaq,

斯托尼语、密卡茂語、 甸尼語和伊努特語 。

Dene and Inuktitut.

And that sounds really dire.

這聽起來令人絕望。

But if you go on to the Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger

但如果瀏覽聯合國教科文組織網站 「世界瀕危語言地圖集」，

through the UNESCO website,

就會在一種語言旁邊看到一個小 r。

you'll see a little "r" right next to that language right there.

That language is Mi'kmaq.

這個語言是密卡茂語。

Mi'kmaq has undergone significant revitalization

密卡茂語經歷了重大的復興，

because of the adoption of a self-government agreement

由於通過了一項促成了文化 和基於語言的教育自治協定，

that led to culture and language-based education,

and now there are Mi'kmaq children

現在有些孩子以密卡茂語為母語。

who have Mi'kmaq as their first language.

There's so much that we can do.

我們還有很多可以做。

These children are students

這些孩子是馬尼圖林島上的

in the Mnidoo Mnising Anishinabek Kinoomaage,

沉浸學校 Mnidoo Mnising Anishinabek Kinoomaage 的學生，

an immersion school on Manitoulin island,

where they learn in Anishinaabemowin.

他們在此學習奧傑布瓦語。

They arrived at school in junior kindergarten

他們剛入幼兒園時， 幾乎不會說奧傑布瓦語。

speaking very little, if any, Anishinaabemowin.

And now, in grade three and grade four,

如今，三、四年級的孩子們 已達語言學習的中級到流利水準。

they're testing at intermediate and fluent levels.

At the same time,

同時，他們適切地擁有 高度的自我認同。

they have beautifully high self-esteem.

They are proud to be Anishinaabe people,

以身為奧傑布瓦人而自豪，

and they have strong learning skills.

擁有強大的學習能力。

Not all education has to be formal education either.

並非所有的教育都必須是正規的教育。

In our local community,

在我們當地社區

we have the Kingston Indigenous Language Nest.

擁有京斯敦原住民語言之鄉（KILN）。

KILN is an organization now,

KILN 現在是一個組織，

but it started six years ago with passionate community members

它始於 6 年前，聚集在長者 餐桌旁的熱情社區成員。

gathered around an elder's kitchen table.

Since then, we have created weekend learning experiences

從那時起，我們創造了針對 跨世代學習的週末學習體驗，

aimed at multigenerational learning,

where we focus on passing language and culture on to children.

致力於將語言和文化傳授給孩子。

We use traditional games, songs, foods and activities to do that.

我們透過傳統的遊戲、 歌曲、食物和活動來實踐。

We have classes

我們在此提供初學和中級課程。

at both the beginner and intermediate levels

offered right here.

We've partnered with school boards and libraries

我們已經與學校董事會和圖書館 建立了合作夥伴關係，

to have resources and language in place in formal education.

以在正規教育中 提供適當的資源和語言。

The possibilities are just endless,

可能性是永無止境的，

and I'm so grateful for the work that has been done

我非常感謝前人的貢獻奠基，

to allow me to pass language and culture on to my son

使我能夠將語言和文化

傳給兒子和社區中的其他孩子。

and to other children within our community.

We've developed a strong, beautiful, vibrant community as well,

透過共同努力，我們還建立了 強大、美麗、充滿活力的社區。

as a result of this shared effort.

So what do we need moving forward?

若想持續前進，我們還需要什麼？

First of all, we need policy.

首先，我們需要政策。

We need enacted policy with attached funding

我們需要制定具有附加資金的政策，

that will ensure that Indigenous language

以確保將原住民語有效地 納入原住民保留區的教育，

is incorporated meaningfully into education,

both on and off reserve.

區內區外皆然。

On reserve, education is funded at significantly lower levels

保留區內的教育補助遠低於非保留區。

than it is off reserve.

And off reserve,

保留區外，原住民語教育通常被忽略，

Indigenous language education is often neglected,

because people assume

因為人們假設原住民不在省區學校裡，

that Indigenous people are not present in provincial schools,

when actually, around 70 percent of Indigenous people in Canada today

而實際上，如今加拿大 70% 的 原住民生活在非保留區。

live off reserve.

Those children have equal right to access their language and culture.

這些孩子有平等權利接觸 他們的語言和文化。

Beyond policy, we need support.

除了政策，我們需要支援。

And that doesn't just mean financial support.

這不僅僅意味著經濟支持。

We need space where we can carry out activities,

我們需要有空間可以開辦活動、 課程，並與非原住民互動。

classes and interaction with nonindigenous populations as well.

We need support

我們需要人們展現學習的意願。

that looks like people wanting to learn the language.

We need support where people talk about why these languages are important.

當談論這些語言為何重要時， 我們需要人們的支援。

And to achieve that, we need education.

為了實現這一目標，我們需要教育。

We need access to immersion education primarily,

我們主要需要接受沉浸式教育，

as that is most certainly the most effective way

因為這無疑是傳承原住民語 最有效的方法。

to ensure the transmission of Indigenous languages.

But we also need education in provincial schools,

但是我們也需要在省區學校接受教育，

we need education for the nonindigenous populations

我們需要對非原住民人口進行教育，

so that we can come to a better mutual understanding

以便我們能夠更好地相互瞭解， 並以更好的方式共同前進。

and move forward in a better way together.

I have this quote hanging in a framed picture on my office wall.

我把這句話掛在辦公室牆上。

It was a gift from a settler ally student that I taught a few years ago,

這是幾年前我教授 移居者同盟的學生送我的禮物，

and it reminds me every day

它每天都在提醒我，

that we can achieve great things if we work together.

如果我們一起努力， 就可以取得偉大的成就。

But if we're going to talk about reconciliation,

但是，如果我們要談和解，

we need to acknowledge

我們必須體認：

that a reconciliation that does not result

無法延續原住民語和文化的和解，

in the survivance and continuation of Indigenous languages and cultures

is no reconciliation at all.

並不算和解，而是同化，

It is assimilation,

and it shouldn't be acceptable to any of us.

沒有人應該接受。

But what we can do is look to the calls to action,

但是我們能期待號召行動，

we can look to the United Nations Declaration

我們能期待 《聯合國原住民族權利宣言》，

on the Rights of Indigenous People

我們能達成共識，

and we can come to a mutual understanding

that what we have,

那就是我國擁有的

in terms of linguistic and cultural heritage

原住民語和文化遺產值得保存。

for Indigenous people in this country,

is worth saving.

Based on that, we can step forward,

在此基礎上，我們可以共同向前邁進，

together,

to ensure that Indigenous languages are passed on

以確保原住民語言的傳承

beyond 2050, beyond the next generation,

得以延續到 2050 年之後，

超過下一代和下七代人。

into the next seven generations.

Miigwech. Niawen’kó:wa. Thank you.

Miigwech. Niawen’kó:wa.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）