Tim Thorne, assistant professor of linguistics in the Department of Writing, has interviewed elders from various tribal communities in an effort to document and preserve the Northern Paiute language.

Northern Paiute is an endangered Native American language spoken by just a few hundred people with most of its active fluent native speakers over the age of 50. The tribe resides mainly in northern Nevada and eastern Oregon.

The project’s focus is the publication of oral literature of various genres – traditional stories, ethno-histories, autobiographies, procedural narratives, legends, and conversation – in the Northern Paiute language. The final product will include literature printed in both the original language, using a writing system developed for the language with members of the community, and its English translation.

See: University of Central Arkansas