Expanding Linguistic Science By Broadening Native American Participation
Linguistic Society of America (LSA) Satellite Workshop and Accompanying Activities
LSA Annual Meeting, January 4-7, 2018, Salt Lake City, Utah
Project description:Linguistic science has a long history of research on the Indigenous languages of North America, yet it is rare for such research to be framed around the knowledge systems of those language communities. This project focuses on identifying, valorizing, and disseminating the intellectual tools and cultural values of those communities as a way to improve linguistic science, through a satellite workshop and series of activities held immediately prior to and during the 2018 LSA Annual Meeting. The project’s objective is to improve the field of Linguistics by broadening the participation of Native Americans, here defined very broadly to include American Indian, Alaska Native, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis community members, partly by creating a means for these individuals to attend and participate in the LSA Annual Meeting, but more significantly, by developing and promoting strategies to better integrate Native American needs and values about language into linguistic science.The project will have roughly 40 participants, consisting of Native American linguists and other community scholars who are engaged in language work, as well as non-Native linguists whose professional work engages with these communities. The project will consist of an all-day workshop on Thursday, January 4, 2018 in which participants will discuss and delve into project themes, followed by a three-hour symposium on Saturday, January 6, 2018, open to all LSA meeting attendees, featuring Native American scholars speaking about these themes. Outside of project activities, participants are expected to attend other LSA annual meeting events (sessions, plenaries, etc.). The project will conclude with a meeting of workshop participants on Sunday, January 7, 2018 in order to debrief from the LSA meeting and identify future goals.Participants will be selected through a competitive application process. The project will cover the costs of attending the workshop and accompanying activities for the selected individuals, including travel expenses up to $700 (arrangements to be coordinated by project staff), lodging at the LSA host hotel, meals, and meeting registration fees.