Languages of the Americas, according to SIL's Ethnologue

The United States   The United States has 176 indigenous languages within its

borders, according to Ethnologue.

  In terms of linguistic diversity, the indigenous and immigrant languages puts the U.S. at a score of 84%.

  Taiwan is at 22. India has 438. Indonesia has 719. Papua New Guinea has 830. Ethiopia has 85 .Mexico is has 291.

  The languages which are indigenous to the United States come from

At contact. (Colors indicate families.)Adapted by John Rehling from the original map by Brandon Plewe and based on maps in American Indian

Languages: The Historical Linguistics of Native America (Oxford Studies in Anthropological Linguistics, 4) and in Collier's Encyclopedia.

5

Federal Educational Policies   Pre-1927

  Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding schools with forced assimilation with Sink-or-Swim method of learning English, often accompanied by physical punishments for speaking Native languages.   Some states, such as California, did not allow Indian children

to attend public schools (no Indians allowed/white only).

  1933-1945   John Collier revolutionizes BIA schools to emphasize teaching

Native cultures and languages

  After 1945, return to emphasis on assimilating   Curricula explicitly designed to extinguish Native languages and

cultures

Oral Tradition   In languages without a written tradition, literature, history

and memories are transmitted orally.

  Oral Literature is just as complex and rich as written literature. (Beowulf in Old English!)

  Languages with rich verbal traditions often have specific genres dedicated to different functions.

  Verbal arts may include storytelling, ritual speeches, songs, jokes, prayers, rhymes, poetry and more.