Claiming Space: An Autoethnographic Study of Indigenous Graduate Students Engaged in Language Reclamation

Y

19

Ethnography; Graduate Students; Activism; Language Maintenance; American Indian Students; American Indian Languages; Student Role; Student Attitudes; Heritage Education; Higher Education; Personal Narratives

Arizona; California (Berkeley); Massachusetts (Boston)

1934-5267

This article explores the critical role of an emerging generation of Indigenous scholars and activists in ensuring the continuity of their endangered heritage languages. Using collaborative autoethnography as a research method, the authors present personal accounts of their pursuit of language reclamation through graduate degree programs. These accounts speak to the importance of access to Indigenous languages and the necessity of space at universities to engage in language reclamation. The authors view higher education as a tool--though one that must be improved--to support Indigenous language reclamation efforts.

As Provided

41

2016

EJ1104935