The Adverse Effects of the Contact to the Modern Indigenous Communities in America

History Essay: Native American Languages
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The history of America is directly linked with the contact of European settlers and the Native American people. There is no doubt that the Europeans interfered with the normal functioning of the native communities. The settlers required the natives to change the aspects of their lives including religion and culture. In the process, a majority of the native communities ended up losing their languages as they adapted foreign languages especially English. In this regard, the selected article demonstrates the adverse effects of the contact to the modern indigenous communities in America.
A newspaper article on The New York Times on April 7, 2019 reports about the activities of summer camps meant to save the loss of indigenous languages in America. The article reports about an upcoming event in July 2019, where 20 7 and 8-year-olds will meet at a summer camp that will take place in the Hoopa Valley Indiana Reservation, in Northern California. The only special rule for the meeting is that no one will be allowed to speak in English. The meeting will be held up entirely in Hupa, which is the native language of about 4,000-member Hoopa Valley Tribe that resides in that areas of the state. The author notes that native speakers of Hupa have declined for the last few decades. The tribe members estimate that only about 20 individuals are fluent enough to teach the native language and pass it on the next generation. The aim of the camp is to change that by creating new speakers among the young generation. However, with such summer camps, the organizers wish to address the issue. They hope that the camp can make a contribution towards generating interest regarding native languages among children. With such camps, more children will learn about their native language and ensure the native languages do not become extinct.[Zaveri, Mihir. 2019. With Indigenous Languages in Steep Decline, Summer Camps Offer Hope]
The article connects to what has been covered in class regarding the contact between Europeans and Native Americans. Since the Europeans began arriving in America, the native languages spoken by the indigenous peoples have been declining. Before the arrival of the colonialists, about 300 languages were spoken in America. However, the number has reduced, and today only about 167 indigenous languages are spoken throughout the country. Estimates further suggest that by 2050, only 20 to 40 of these indigenous languages will be remaining.[McConvell, Patrick, and Nicholas Thieberger. "State of Indigenous languages in Australia-2001, Australia State of the Environment Second Technical Paper Series (Natural and Cultural Heritage), Department of the Environment and Heritage, Canberra." (2001).]
Such a trend is worrying and calls for an examination on what has been happening to the indigenous languages. The European settlers marginalized the indigenous peoples. The settlers pushed them away from their land and gave them lands far away from their original homes. In the late 19th Century and early 20th Century, the government worked towards eradicating the Native American culture. Through assimilation programs, the government started boarding schools for indigenous ...