'We're still here': Cheyenne, Arapaho working to revitalize native languages

OKLAHOMA (KFDX/KJTL) — Language can be a powerful way of connecting with one another, our history, and our identity. That's something that Native American tribes know well as they reconnect with languages that became lost.

Language is part of every culture worldwide, but for Native American tribes, words are more than just words.

Gordon Yellowman, tribal historian for the Arapaho and Cheyenne tribes, explained that the native language of these tribes is alive in their culture and a big part of their identity.

"Cheyenne Arapaho language is very important because it's one of the things that is part of our identity as Cheyenne people," Yellowman said, repeating himself in the Cheyenne and Arapaho languages. "It's part of our identity, our cultural and ceremonial way of life, and just the way we live."

Unfortunately, the language was lost after the U.S. government created initiatives to run and support over 400 Native American boarding schools across the country from 1819 to 1969. The boarding schools had one purpose — to forcefully strip Native Americans of their culture and heritage, including their language, in an effort to "civilize" indigenous students.

"And that's where it began," Yellowman said. "And they took away our language, these boarding schools. They told us not to speak Cheyenne, they told us not to speak Arapaho, and that hurt us 'cause that's all we knew."

Tens of thousands of children endured abuse for speaking the words they had been taught since birth.

"If they spoke their language, they would put soap in their mouth," Yellowman said. "You are not to speak your language; you are to speak English. And that's hurtful, it's painful," Yellowman said.

Through it all, Yellowman believes the Cheyenne and Arapaho languages kept the tribes' culture alive and helped them survive.

"For us, the Cheyenne, we spoke our language, because that's the beauty of who we are as Native people. It empowers us to be sacred," he said.

Now, Native American tribes across the country are just beginning to scratch the surface of restoring and revitalizing what was taken from them. The Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes have created numerous initiatives to bring their native languages back to life.

Technology has become a big tool for teachers as they host classes over Zoom to reach people in their communities and the public.

"Zoom classes, virtual classes, in Cheyenne language for all of our people, and even the public, those that are interested in learning," Yellowman explained. "The virtual class helped us advance, and we now utilize that as a tool to reach the communities; they don't even have to physically come to the tribal office or the Head Start center."

The tribes have also leveraged the use of television and media to teach their languages.
Cheyenne and Arapaho Production has created several programs, including a children's show called 'Frybread Flats,' which introduces children to the native languages and teaches them about significant parts of their culture, such as stories, animals, and life lessons.

"Those students are going home, speaking to their parents in the Cheyenne and Arapaho languages, and that just makes me so happy," Yellowman said. "To hear your grandkids say, 'thank you,' to hear your grandkids say 'sit down,' to hear your grandkids say 'welcome.'"

While the journey hasn't been easy when it comes to re-teaching and revitalizing their native language, the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes continue working each day to restore their culture and teach the younger generations about their heritage.

"This language is alive — it's a living, breathing element, a cultural element of our people. When we speak it, it comes from our body, our heart, our lungs, and that's the beauty of it. It's part of us," he explained. "We're still here, and language is going to be our key to the future."

If you would like to learn about the Cheyenne or Arapaho languages, you can contact the language department at (405) 422-7569 to enroll in virtual classes hosted through Zoom every week.

You can also download their language app on your computer, tablet, or mobile device. Just search for "Cheyenne Arapaho" in the App Store or Google Play Store to download.