Cheyenne is still alive, but for how much longer? The U.S. government was unable to eradicate the Cheyenne language through its campaigns of military genocide against Cheyennes and its policies of cultural and language assimilation at boarding schools. Yet those policies have left a gangrenous wound among the Cheyennes, a lesson taught explicitly (through punishment for speaking Cheyenne) or implicitly in the government schools, and then believed by many parents, that their children cannot "succeed" in the world today unless they speak only English. Not all Cheyenne educators, leaders, or parents believe this false doctrine, which is unsupported by scientific studies of bilingualism, but enough do so that Cheyenne language attrition is occurring today at an alarming rate. Another factor contributing to Cheyenne language loss is the monopoly that English has in the media surrounding Cheyenne children. The end of any language is death to part of the soul of that culture. Wise Cheyennes today resist the threatened death of their language, and are trying to find some cures at this stage of culture and language change. They recognize that some of the most successful Cheyennes have been fluent in both Cheyenne and English, and that knowing one's ancestral tongue need not keep one from functioning well in the dominant society as well, of course, within Cheyenne society. Instead, knowing more than one language can enrich a person, can give him more than one viewpoint from which to view the world. Speaking and understanding the ancestral tongue should be a cause for celebration.

Remember the Tsitsistas in your thoughts and prayers. Remember Cheyenne leaders who are trying to keep their language, a vital part of the soul of the Tsitsistas, alive for future generations. May wisdom be theirs as the Tsitsistas enter the 21st century, while trying to maintain the knowledge and values which are so important to them. The onset of death pangs of endangered languages around the world is felt today by Cheyennes and many other Native American language communities. Ma'heo'o, nehnêševatamemeno, "Great One, take pity on us!"

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Newsbreaks:

On January 21, 2007, a new Cheyenne translation of parts of the Bible was dedicated at a service in Lame Deer, Montana.

On April 21, 1997, the Tribal Council of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe passed an ordinance which declares Cheyenne as the official language of the tribe.

June 1998, the Northern Cheyenne Tribe held its first annual Language Immersion Camp. Participants were to speak only Cheyenne within the circle of the tepee camp. This is part of the effort to keep the language alive among the children.

January 8, 1999, Cheyenne runners complete 400 mile run from Ft. Robinson, celebrating the breakout of their ancestors from that fort 120 years ago. Read about it in this full-page Billings Gazette article.

July 19-30, 1999, Second Annual Cheyenne Language Immersion Camp: Crazyhead Springs Campground on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation, 42 happy little campers, the youngest is 4.

August 10, 2000, 1st Annual Northern Cheyenne Culture and Language Summit, A Collaborative Program of Dull Knife Memorial College and St. Labre Indian School, held at St. Labre Indian School, Ashland, Montana.