A Personal Struggle to Preserve Sugpiaq Language and Culture in the 21st Century

Abstract

Quyanakcak gguani illart’tsluci. Ggui atqa Kukuu. Aataka Sargi Kvasnikoff. AanaqaKukuuneq, Juanita Melshiemer. Piurt’llrranga Nawalegmi. Nanglutanupuggllalrrakut Sugt’stun tuami 1958mi, sungama puskit skuulurpet. Awasugt’stun nart’slluki nupugnermek uciiniini. Awa ggui cali skuuluryarngama,litkualrranga miliikansat’stun. Tagua, nangluta kayaggniulrakut.

Thank you very much for having me here with you. My name is Sally. My father’s nameis Sargus Kvasnikoff. My mother’s, Juanita Melshiemer. I grew up in Nanwalek,and we all spoke in Nanwalek, Sugt’stun, and then in nineteen-fifty-eight [1958], the year I was born, the BIA school was built. Now, Sugt’stun couldn’tbe spoken anymore by the students, and when I went to school, I had to learn tospeak English. That was hard for a lot of us…for all of us anyway.