The Indian Civilization Act of 1819 led to forced assimilation in Indigenous boarding schools by suppressing the use of their languages and cultures. Consequently, over 300 Indigenous languages struggled to survive. Revitalizing these dying languages will open them to a new generation of speakers. Through language immersion programs, mentorships, and technology, these languages have slowly come back to daily life.
For example, the Wampanoag language had been dormant for around 150 years until 1993, when the Wampanoag Language Reclamation Project began. Starting in Boston, where Wampanoag used to be spoken, this project involved collaboration with many universities and colleges such as Yale, Brown, and MIT. They were able to establish classes at several colleges taught by linguists. Jessie Little Doe Baird, a member of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, started working with linguist Ken Hale in analyzing historical Wampanoag documents. As a result, many graduate students were able to learn the grammar and vocabulary. This marked the first occasion where people around the world recognized a Native American community’s attempt to revitalize their dying language.
Myaamia, the language of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma died out in 1989. However, the community worked with Miami University by using archival documents to revive and reconstruct their language. The National Breath of Life program plays an important role in these partnerships, as the program provides training and technology to help many Indigenous communities across North America. These instances of language revival emphasize the necessity of sustaining these traditions.