Workshop Announcement
Climate, Language and Indigenous Perspectives
13-15 August 2008
Alaska Native Language Center
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Abstract Deadline: Saturday, 15 March 2008
For further information, please contact:
Olga Lovick
E-mail: Olga [at] lithophile.com
Phone 907-474-5591
The Alaska Native Language Center (ANLC) at the University of Alaska
Fairbanks (UAF) is hosting "Climate, Language and Indigenous
Perspectives (CLIP)," an informal workshop on how linguistic knowledge
can form a link between scientific inquiry and indigenous perspectives
of climate. The workshop will be held at UAF on 13-15 August 2008.
Participants will include linguists, natural scientists, and cultural
anthropologists, as well as speakers of indigenous languages.
The workshop focuses on how knowledge of the language (both speaking
expertise and knowledge of linguistic structure) can inform natural
science. Discussion will be facilitated by paper presentations and
discussion groups focused on:
Topic 1 - Comparing vocabularies: How does knowledge of indigenous
classifications (e.g., land/landforms, ice, water) inform scientific
research? This session may be broken up into several subtopics depending
on the number of suggestions received.
Topic 2 - What can we learn from Oral Histories?
Topic 3 - Naming systems: Place names and month/season names. Is climate
change reflected in such names?
Proposals are especially invited for "mixed" group presentations that
include a speaker of a relevant native language. Workshop organizers are
open to suggestions as they refine the structure of the workshop. Native
language, however, must be a significant factor in all discussions.
For questions and abstract submissions, please contact:
Olga Lovick
E-mail: Olga [at] lithophile.com
Phone 907-474-5591