The Society for the Study of the Indigenous Languages of the Americas *** SSILA BULLETIN *** An Information Service for SSILA Members Editor - Victor Golla (golla@ssila.org) Associate Editor - Scott DeLancey (delancey@uoregon.edu) -->> --Correspondence should be directed to the Editor-- <<-- ___________________________________________________________________________ Number 255: June 24, 2007 ___________________________________________________________________________ 255.0 SSILA Business * Newsletter schedule 255.1 Correspondence * Severing ties with ANLC (M. Krauss) * Oaxacan languages? (C. Mendoza) * Mayan interpreters needed (A. Basulto) * A term for bereaved parents or siblings? (S. Troemel-Ploetz) 255.2 Positions Open * Syntax, SUNY Buffalo * Collection manager, Native American languages, U of Oklahoma 255.3 Opportunities for Study * PhD scholarships in grammatical description, RCLT, La Trobe U 255.4 Upcoming Meetings and Workshops * Los Amigos de las Lenguas Yutoaztecas (Hermosillo, Nov. 17-18) 255.5 Funding Sources * Native Voices Endowment * FAMSI grants for Mesoamericanists 255.6 New on the Web * New items posted on SIL Mexico website 255.7 E-Mail Address Updates --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 255.0 SSILA Business --------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Newsletter schedule ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The January and April 2007 issues of the SSILA Newsletter (volume 25:4 and volume 26:1) are now being printed and will be mailed to subscribers within a few days. A special mail ballot, submitting to the membership the changes in the Society's By-Laws that were adopted at the Business Meeting in Anaheim, will be enclosed. The July 2007 issue will reach subscribers in early August. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 255.1 Correspondence --------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Severing ties with ANLC ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >From Michael Krauss (ffmek@uaf.edu) 18 May 2007: I can no longer allow my name to be associated with the Alaska Native Language Center, as I no longer have any voice in or responsibility for any of its actions, policies, programs, priorities, grant proposals, or publications. --Michael Krauss Fairbanks, Alaska (ffmek@uaf.edu) * Oaxacan languages? ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >From C. T. Mendoza (fresno_eval@yahoo.com) 24 May 2007: I am assisting an organization dedicated to the preservation of the indigenous languages of Oaxaca, the Centro Binacional para el Desarrollo Indigena Oaxaqueno. I would be grateful to learn of any articles that address this issue that might be useful for their work. --Carmen T. Mendoza Central Valley Research and Evaluation Consultant Fresno, CA (fresno_eval@yahoo.com) * Mayan interpreters needed ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >From Amelia Basulto (ameliab@pacificinterpreters.com) 12 June 2007: I am writing on behalf of Pacific Interpreters in Portland, Oregon. We specialize in providing interpreters for hospital patients and health care workers throughout the United States. All of our interpretation is done over the telephone. We have seen an increase in the number of patients who speak the Mayan languages of Guatemala, including Mam, Kanjobal and Kichi, and we are trying to locate potential interpreters who speak one or more of these languages along with English. We can provide training to anyone who has the language skills. I would be happy to answer any questions that you might have and would greatly appreciate any referrals. --Amelia Basulto Pacific Interpreters Portland, Oregon http://www.pacificinterpreters.com * A term for bereaved parents or siblings? ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >From Senta Troemel-Ploetz (sentatroemelploetz@hotmail.com) 20 June 2007: Could readers of the SSILA Bulletin help me with the following question? There seems to be no term for parents who have lost a child or a person who has lost a sister or brother in English or German, or in other Indo- European languages for that matter. Does anyone know of an American Indian language that expresses these concepts, and if so how do they translate? --Dr. Senta Troemel-Ploetz 218 S. President Ave. Lancaster, PA 17603 (sentatroemelploetz@hotmail.com) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 255.2 Positions Open --------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Syntax, SUNY Buffalo ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >From Karin Michelson (kmich@buffalo.edu) 24 May 2007: The Department of Linguistics at the University at Buffalo anticipates hiring a tenure-track faculty member, open rank, beginning Fall 2008. We are looking for a specialist in syntax who has an outstanding research program. The Department has a strong cognitive science focus with broad theoretical diversity. The successful applicant will be expected to teach courses at all levels, as well as to serve on thesis committees. We will begin reviewing applications September 17, 2007. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Applicants should submit CV, letter of application, at least three letters of reference, and samples of their work to: Search Committee, Department of Linguistics, 609 Baldy Hall, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY14260-1030. * Collection manager, Native American languages, U of Oklahoma ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >From Mary S. Linn (mslinn@ou.edu) 15 June 2007: The Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History seeks an experienced and energetic professional to serve as the Collection Manager in Native American Languages. This permanent staff position will report to the Curator of Native American Languages and be responsible for the daily operations and management of the museum’s collection of Native American languages, including audio and video recordings, documents, and ephemera. Duties and responsibilities include care of the collections, data and records management, documentation of outgoing and incoming loans, processing and preparation of new and existing collections, assisting visitors, assisting with the supervision of assistants, interns, and volunteers, assisting with exhibitions and grant-writing through collection-related activities, and participation in public service programs and educational activities as appropriate. Minimum qualifications: Master's degree (preferred) in linguistics, anthropology, ethnomusicology, museum studies, or a related field and 12 months of collections-related experience, including familiarity with the operation of analog and digital audio/video equipment and software, or B.S./B.A. degree in one of the fields listed above and 24 months of experience. Requirements may be met by equivalent combination of education and related experience. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills are required, as well as the ability to both work independently and in a team environment, and the ability to interact in a positive and sensitive manner with Native American Tribes and their citizens. Salary Range: $28,000 plus full benefits. For more information about the department and the museum, visit our website at: http://www.snomnh.ou.edu. Applications will be processed until a candidate is selected. Applicants must submit a cover letter, a curriculum vitae or resume, and a statement of interest. Applications also must include three (3) letters of recommendation (these may be sent separately). Hiring is contingent on a background check. Applications must be submitted using the on-line application process. To apply, go to https://jobs.ou.edu and search for requisition (job) number 03633 (Curator/Archivist I). Materials submitted in application for position(s) become the property of the University of Oklahoma. Deadlines are subject to change without notice. The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and encourages diversity in the workplace. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 255.3 Opportunities for Study --------------------------------------------------------------------------- * PhD scholarships in grammatical description, RCLT, La Trobe U ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >From Alexandra Aikhenvald (A.Aikhenvald@latrobe.edu.au) 4 June 2007: The Research Center for Linguistic Typology at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia, invites applications from suitably qualified students to enter the PhD program. Our PhD candidates generally undertake extensive fieldwork on a previously undescribed (or scarcely described) language and write a comprehensive grammar of it for their dissertation. They are expected to work on a language which is still actively spoken, and to establish a field situation within a community in which it is the first language. They normally undertake a first fieldtrip of nine to twelve months and, towards the end of their course, a follow-up fieldtrip of two to three months. Fieldwork methodology should be centered on the collection, transcription and analysis of texts, together with participant obser- vation, and--at a later stage--judicious grammatical elicitation in the language under description (not through the lingua franca of the country). Our main priority areas are the languages of Amazonia and the Papuan and Austronesian languages of New Guinea. However, we do not exclude applicants who have an established interest in languages from other areas. PhDs in Australian universities generally involve no coursework, just a substantial dissertation. Candidates must thus have had a thorough coursework training before embarking on this PhD program. This should have included courses on morphology, syntax, semantics, phonology/ phonetics and comparative-historical linguistics, taught from a non- formalist perspective. We place emphasis on work that has a sound empirical basis but also shows a firm theoretical orientation (in terms of general typological theory, or what has recently come to be called basic linguistic theory). The Research Center for Linguistic Typology consists, at any one time, of about 20 scholars, working on a variety of languages and typological issues. Besides the permanent staff of Professor R M W Dixon (Director) and Professor Alexandra Y Aikhenvald (Associate Director) we have an array of Research Fellows and PhD students; each year a number of senior scholars from across the world spend from three to six months with us as Visiting Fellows. Over the past decade the Research Centre has included specialists on languages from the following families or areas: Tsimshian, Algonquian, Athabaskan, Mayan, Oto-Manguean, Eskimo-Aleut, Chukchee, Arawak, Carib, Arawá, Chibchan, Jê, Panoan, Jívaro, Tacanan, Zapotec, Indo-European, Dravidian, Turkic, Uralic, Niger-Congo, Afro-asiatic, Khoisan, Tai-Kadai, Sinitic, Tibeto-Burman, Austro-asiatic, Papuan, Austronesian and Australian. There is also an excellent Department of Linguistics in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at La Trobe University headed by Professor Randy LaPolla. And there are fine Departments of Linguistics at the University of Melbourne and at Monash University. The scholarship will be at the standard La Trobe University rate, Australian $19.231 p.a. Students coming from overseas are liable for a visa fee (effectively, a tuition fee); we will pay this. A small relocation allowance may be provided on taking up the scholarship. In addition, an appropriate allowance will be made to cover fieldwork expenses. The scholarship is for three years. Further information about RCLT is at http://www.latrobe.edu.au/rclt. See, in particular, our February 2007 Newsletter, available at this site. Prospective applicants are invited to get in touch with Prof Aikhenvald at a.aikhenvald@latrobe.edu.au, providing details of their background, qualifications and interests. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 255.4 Upcoming Meetings and Workshops --------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Taller de los Amigos de las Lenguas Yutoaztecas (Hermosillo, Nov. 17-18) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >From Karen Dakin (dakin@servidor.unam.mx) 28 May 2007: Tenemos el agrado de invitarlos a participar en el Taller de los Amigos de las Lenguas Yutoaztecas, 2007. En esta ocasión, Zarina Estrada de la UNISON, con la colaboración de Karen Dakin, Mercedes Montes de Oca, Ascensión Hernández y Lilián Guerrero, del Seminario de Lenguas Indígenas, Instituto de Investigaciones Filológicas de la UNAM, y de José Luis (El Vaquero) Moctezuma del INAH-Sonora nos invitan al Taller en fechas menos calurosas que las del verano, el sábado 17 y domingo 18 de noviembre en Hermosillo, Sonora. Esperamos que las fechas del Taller sean factibles para que la mayoría de ustedes puedan participar, ya que nos apartamos de las fechas tradicionales del verano. Favor de mandar el título de su ponencia, un breve resumen, domicilio, número de teléfono y su cuenta de correo electrónico a cualquiera de las siguientes cuentas de correo. La fecha límite para recibir las propuestas es el 30 de septiembre. zarina@guaymas.uson.mx, zarinef@hotmail.com Zarina Estrada Departamento de Letras y Lingüística Universidad de Sonora Hermosillo, Sonora. dakin@servidor.unam.mx, karendakin@gmail.com Karen Dakin Seminario de Lenguas Indígenas Instituto de Investigaciones Filológicas UNAM Cto. Mario de la Cueva s/n 04510 México, DF TEL 011-52-55-5622-7489 / FAX 011-52-55-5622-7495 Les mandaremos información sobre transportación y hoteles próximamente. ************ We are pleased to invite you to participate in the Friends of Uto-Aztecan Conference, 2007. This year, Zarina Estrada of the Universidad de Sonora, and with the collaboration of Karen Dakin, Mercedes Montes de Oca, Ascensión Hernández y Lilián Guerrero, of the Seminario de Lenguas Indígenas, Instituto de Investigaciones Filológicas de la UNAM, [and José Luis (El Vaquero) Moctezuma del INAH-Sonora], co-organize the Conference during somewhat cooler dates, Saturday, November 17 and Sunday, November 18, in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. We hope that the workshop dates are feasible so that most of you can participate, since this year the workshop could not be organized for the summer, our regular calendar time. Please send the title of your paper and a brief summary, your mailing address, phone number, and e-mail address, to one of the following e-mail accounts. The deadline for proposals is September 30. zarina@guaymas.uson.mx, zarinef@hotmail.com Zarina Estrada Departamento de Letras y Lingüística Universidad de Sonora Hermosillo, Sonora. dakin@servidor.unam.mx, karendakin@gmail.com Karen Dakin Seminario de Lenguas Indígenas Instituto de Investigaciones Filológicas UNAM Cto. Mario de la Cueva s/n 04510 México, DF TEL 011-52-55-5622-7489 / FAX 011-52-55-5622-7495 We will send information about hotels and transportation later. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 255.5 Funding Sources --------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Native Voices Endowment ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >From Nick Emlen (emlen@haskins.yale.edu) 12 June 2007: This year, for the first time, the Endangered Language Fund is accepting proposals for funding through the Native Voices Endowment. This money comes from the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Council, which received the revenue from the U.S. Mint's sale of the Lewis and Clark 2004 Commemora- tive Coins. We will accept proposals from members of eligible North American tribes along the historic route of the 1804-1806 Lewis and Clark Expedition whose ancestors experienced contact with the expedition, or whose ancestral homelands were traversed by the expedition, or whose tribal customs or languages were recorded by the expedition, including tribes who were removed to Oklahoma subsequent to the expedition. The Native Voices Endowment grant program will make a total of $75,000 available in 2007 to enrolled tribal members, tribal government language programs, tribal community language programs and tribal schools and colleges. Proposals will be accepted for Native American language educa- tion programs, individual study by Native American language students, and research efforts to document and record Native American languages for future preservation and education. The RFP and a list of eligible tribes are available online at: http://www.endangeredlanguagefund.org/native_voices For more information, e-mail elf@endangeredlanguagefund.org. * FAMSI grants for Mesoamericanists ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >From Jessica Costa (jessica@famsi.org) 22 June 2007: The Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, Inc., is now accepting applications for its 2007 Annual Grant Competition Applications must be received by September 15, no late entries will be accepted. Grants are intended to provide assistance for scholarly investigations of ancient cultures of Mesoamerica (limited to present Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador). Applicants may be working in such fields as Anthropology, Archaeology, Art History, Epigraphy, Ethnohistory, History, Linguistics, or Multidisciplinary Studies involving combinations of these classifications. To receive a copy of the current brochure outlining policies, grant categories, requisite qualifications, and application forms visit us on the web at http://www.famsi.org/grants/apply.htm or contact us directly at: FAMSI 268 South Suncoast Boulevard Crystal River, Florida 34429-5498 Fax: (352) 795-1970 E-mail: famsi@famsi.org Website: http://www.famsi.org --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 255.6 New on the Web --------------------------------------------------------------------------- * New items posted on SIL Mexico website ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >From Juanita Watters (juanita_watters@sil.org) 13 June 2007: We would like to announce the posting of a number of new items to the SIL Mexico website (http://www.sil.org/mexico/nuevo.htm) in the past nine months. These are mostly short publications, almost all originally published on paper for native speakers. There are titles in the following languages: Chinantec of Santiago Comaltepec Huave of San Mateo del Mar Mixtec of Magdalena Peñasco Mixtec of Mixtepec Tepehua of Pisaflores Zapotec of Guevea de Humboldt Zapotec of San Juan Guelavía Zapotec of San Francisco Ozolotepec Zapotec of San Franciso Logueche Zapotec of San Pablo Yaganiza Zapotec of San Cristóbal Amatlán Zapotec of the Isthmus Also on this webpage are links to new or revised sites for: Chinantec of Sochiapam Náhuatl of the municipios de Mecayapan y Tatahuicapan de Juárez, Veracruz Zapotec of Chichicápam Zapotec of San Juan Bautista Comaltepec --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 255.7 E-Mail Address Updates --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The following additions or changes have been made to the SSILA e-mail list since the last Bulletin: Henry, Timothy ........... t_henry@umail.ucsb.edu O'Connor, Loretta ........ lmtoconnor@gmail.com Rudes, Blair A. .......... barudes@uncc.edu (not *barudes@unc.edu) Shipley, Elizabeth ....... e_shipley@umail.ucsb.edu Spence, Justin ........... justins@berkeley.edu Thompson, Todd ........... tthompson008@nyc.rr.com Woodbury, Hanni .......... hanni.woodbury@gmail.com When your e-mail address changes, please notify us (golla@ssila.org). ************************************************************************** THE SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF THE INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES OF THE AMERICAS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Victor Golla, Secretary-Treasurer & Editor P. O. Box 555 Arcata, California 95518-0555 USA ------------------------------------------------------------------------ tel: 707/826-4324 - e-mail: golla@ssila.org Website: http://www.ssila.org ************************************************************************** The SSILA Bulletin is distributed electronically to all members of SSILA. Non-members may subscribe free of charge by sending their e-mail address to the editor (golla@ssila.org). SSILA also publishes a quarterly hard-copy Newsletter that contains book reviews, notices of journal articles and recent dissertations, and other news and commentary. The Newsletter and other publications of the Society are distributed only to members or to institutional subscribers. SSILA welcomes applications for membership from anyone interested in the scholarly study of the languages of the native peoples of North, Central, and South America. Dues for 2007 are $16 (US) or $20 (Canadian) and may be paid in advance at the 2007 rate. (The basic rate will rise to $20 in 2008.) Checks or money orders should be made payable to "SSILA" and sent to: SSILA, P.O. Box 555, Arcata, CA 95518. For further information, visit the SSILA website (http://www.ssila.org). **************************************************************************