Smoke dancers, American Sign Language (ASL) poetry and explorations of endangered languages will highlight a series of events Oct. 15-Nov. 6 that celebrate the importance of language throughout U.S. history. 

“Language, Memory, Future: Celebrating 250 Years of Language in Our Region” will take place both on campus and at the Tompkins County Public Library in Ithaca. It is part of the College of Arts and Sciences’ America250 and Arts Unplugged initiatives.

Credit: Provided

“The event celebrates the richness of languages of America, focusing primarily on the histories and futures of two regional communities of national importance: the Deaf community and the nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, especially the Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫʼ,” said Abigail Cohn ’78, professor of linguistics (A&S) and one of the faculty organizers of the events.

Events begin Oct. 15 with a talk, “Indigenous Peoples and Languages in the Cayuga Lake Region,” given by Kurt Jordan ’88, professor of anthropology (A&S) and of American Indian and Indigenous Studies in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, at 6:30 p.m. at Tompkins County Public Library.

A highlight of the celebration will be two days of events Nov. 5-6 on campus, beginning with two films showing Nov. 5 at Cornell Cinema.

At 4:30 p.m.,“Deaf President Now!” will tell the story of the 1988 student protest at Gallaudet University that led to the appointment of the university’s first Deaf president. The event will include a talk by Greg Hlibok, a student leader featured in the film.

At 7:30 p.m., “Fancy Dance” will tell the story of a woman on the Seneca-Cayuga reservation searching for her missing sister while also introducing her niece to her first powwow.

Both films are free and will include free popcorn.

Cornell has offered a vibrant ASL program since 2019, as well as an active student organization. And language classes and other projects on campus and in the community are working to preserve and highlight Gayogohó:nǫˀ (Cayuga Nation) language and culture.

“Celebrating ASL also means honoring the linguistic and cultural influences that have shaped its history, including connections with Indigenous sign languages in the region,” said Brenda Schertz, teaching professor in linguistics (A&S). “In this beautiful intermingling of languages, heritage and cultures, we recognize the resilience and creativity of communities whose narratives have too often been underrepresented.”

A keynote talk and performances will take place Nov. 6 in Klarman Atrium and Rhodes-Rawlings Auditorium.

Daniel Kaufman, Ph.D. ’10, director of the Endangered Language Alliance and associate professor at Queens College, will speak about “America’s languages under threat: Institutional responses and grassroots resilience,” at 4:30 p.m. in the auditorium.

Kaufman, an expert in the Austronesian languages of Island Southeast Asia, is involved in computational projects to facilitate the sharing of language documentation materials and the formal modeling of phonological, morphological and syntactic systems.

A reception follows, including food from Indigenous peoples from this region. Performances will take place from 6:30-9 p.m. by the Flying Words Project and Chris Thomas and the Ongwe’hon:wehkah Smoke Dancers. Attendees can try their hand at learning words and phrases in ASL and Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫʼ.

Other events:

• Languages at the Brink: A Cornell University Library exhibit focused on endangered languages, opens Oct. 22;
• World Languages Day event, Oct. 24;
• “Where ASL Lives: Language, Place, and Deaf Community Identity,” a talk by Schertz, Oct. 29, 6:30 p.m., Tompkins County Public Library; and
• Indigenous Plants Walk and Talk, Cornell Botanic Gardens, 1 p.m., Nov. 6.

All events are free and ASL English language interpretation will be available.

“Languages carry our histories and memories, but they also shape the futures we can imagine together,” said Angelika Kraemer, director of Cornell's Language Resource Center and teaching professor in German studies (A&S). “Celebrating linguistic and cultural diversity reminds us that difference is not something to overcome; it is something that enriches our communities.”

Kathy Hovis is a writer for the College of Arts and Sciences.