The task is imposing. So many native languages seemingly lost forever or close to disappearing. Some with only one speaker remaining, others with none. But there is hope to recover these cultural treasures, and those attending the 4^th Biennial Conference on the Reclamation of Indigenous Languages couldn't help but see that. The enthusiasm and skills of the participants and presenters make even so daunting a task possible.

    Tribal Council Secretary Charlene Jones has worked tirelessly for years on reviving the Pequot language, as well as supporting language reclamation efforts in general. Bringing this major conference to the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center in February was just the latest such effort. The conference showcased a dazzling array of experts, leading off with a keynote address from Dr. Leanne Hinton.

    Dr. Hinton is a professor emerita at the University of California at Berkeley. Her keynote focused on California language programs that can serve as a model for any native language recovery effort. She showed a map of California with areas blocked off to show the native languages that are spoken in that region. It was amazing to see how many there were. (More)

Foxwoods celebrates Sweet 16; an anniversary to remember

Tribal Councilors Rodney Butler (left) and Marjorie Colebut-Jackson and Richard E. Sebastian (right) celebrate Foxwoods' 16th Anniversary with casino patrons on Feb. 15. Tebo photo

After Tribal Councilor Rodney Butler greeted hundreds of Foxwoods Resort Casino patrons attending its "Sweet Sixteen" Celebration on February 15, he made it perfectly clear to the crowd from the outset that he "was not a Barack Obama impersonator." After some good natured banter with the throng, he introduced fellow tribal councilors Marjorie Colebut-Jackson and Richard E. Sebastian.

    Foxwoods Vice President of Casino Marketing Joseph Jimenez said that it was traditional at a Sweet Sixteen Party to give gifts and that even though its was the casino's birthday, Foxwoods and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation would be doing the gift-giving, raffling off prizes for the audience.

    Jimenez pointed out that more than 225 million people had visited Foxwoods since it opened in 1992. "I can't think of any other property anywhere that has served so many people or made so many memories for its patrons," he said. Human Resources Vice President Steve Heise praised the Foxwoods' team members for making the experience so appealing to its visitors. He added that more than 4,000 of the casino's employees have been there (More)

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