- Genre:language arts & disciplines
- Sub-genre:Linguistics / Historical & Comparative
- Language:English
- Pages:480
- Hardcover ISBN:9798350995909
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Book details
Overview
"Preserving our Western Abenaki Language, Culture, and Traditions for future generations has been and is a primary mission of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk – Abenaki Nation. As Chief, I am very proud of our efforts to increase speakers of our language. I am forever grateful to Jesse Bowman Bruchac for dedicating his life to preserving the Language and for spending the time to produce such a magnificent educational tool. I hope that this Language publication will be used by generations of students and expanded upon as our language evolves and grows. It takes but only one seed to be planted and blossom to produce many fruit throughout the generations." - Chief Don Stevens, Nulhegan Abenaki Tribe
Description
In northeastern New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, northern Massachusetts, southern and western Maine, and southeastern Quebec, Eastern Algonquian speaking communities along major rivers spoke various dialects, often adopting the rivers' names as their tribal identities, as in Missisquoi, Nulhegan, and Saint Francis.
Despite periods of displacement, colonization, and significant pressure to assimilate, the western Abenaki language—distinct from eastern Abenaki (Penobscot, Maliseet-Passamaquoddy, and Mi'kmaq)—endured until the 20th century. Western Abenaki preserves elements of Southern New England Algonquian grammar, and vocabulary from across the Northeast, reflecting generations of northern migration across the Connecticut River Valley. These migrations converged in various locations. In 1646 at the French Jesuit mission of Norridgewock, Maine; between 1676 and 1680, the Jesuit mission of Sillery, Quebec, then moving to the Chaudière River for two decades before finally establishing the communities of Odanak, on the Saint Francis River and Wôlinak at Becancour; and at Schaghticoke, northeast of Albany, NY, in 1676. Many of the remaining speakers, primarily Coosuk and Sokoki, maintained seasonal movements, traveling between Albany, Saratoga, and Lake George in New York; Missisquoi and Coos Counties in Vermont and New Hampshire; western Maine; and lower Canada.
The Nulhegan Abenaki Dictionary reflects the ongoing growth of Abenaki as a living language. This comprehensive resource includes both newly coined terms and words spoken for generations across the Northeast. Featuring a fully standardized spelling system, English-to-Abenaki format, radically reduced grammar, with all verbs, the life of the language, listed in their foundational imperative and third person forms.
To ensure access, the complete Nulhegan Abenaki Dictionary is also available 100% free in digital format.
100% of proceeds from physical book sales used to support Abenaki language reclamation efforts.
