(no subject)

I have a subscription to Smithsonian magazine that I sometimes look askance at, as I'm not as much into history, especially art, literary, and political history as I probably should be. Plus, I can actually look at it easier online than I can on paper, in some ways.

One article, though, in the last issue really caught my eye. It's about the Montana Blackfeet coming up with a way to finally teach their young people not only the dying native language, but pride in being who and what they are. The argument for such establishments among all the native people losing their languages seemed so compelling to me. Especially knowing how I feel about losing my Chinese and it's not even an endangered language.

From that and some Google combing, I found the link to The Piegan Institute with a very interesting and informative link to Senate Bill 575, which would help such organizations recover their languages and all of the heritage that goes with it. Wow. So I wrote my senator about it. It seemed such a small thing to be able to do. I'll probably contribute something, too, as the Rostyki decided that instead of any presents among the adults (it used to be just one other person), that we'd all donate to something worthwhile the money we'd otherwise be running around a mall trying to spend.

It's not quite like Graeme or the Heifer Project, but it is about helping people help themselves. Not must monetary security, I guess, but spiritual security of a sort.

(no subject)

I have a subscription to Smithsonian magazine that I sometimes look askance at, as I'm not as much into history, especially art, literary, and political history as I probably should be. Plus, I can actually look at it easier online than I can on paper, in some ways.

One article, though, in the last issue really caught my eye. It's about the Montana Blackfeet coming up with a way to finally teach their young people not only the dying native language, but pride in being who and what they are. The argument for such establishments among all the native people losing their languages seemed so compelling to me. Especially knowing how I feel about losing my Chinese and it's not even an endangered language.

From that and some Google combing, I found the link to The Piegan Institute with a very interesting and informative link to Senate Bill 575, which would help such organizations recover their languages and all of the heritage that goes with it. Wow. So I wrote my senator about it. It seemed such a small thing to be able to do. I'll probably contribute something, too, as the Rostyki decided that instead of any presents among the adults (it used to be just one other person), that we'd all donate to something worthwhile the money we'd otherwise be running around a mall trying to spend.

It's not quite like Graeme or the Heifer Project, but it is about helping people help themselves. Not must monetary security, I guess, but spiritual security of a sort.