Samala Language Revitalization Effort for Chumash Indians, More City Hall Communications in Spanish

Language of Chumash Revived in Hardback

Forty-three years after the death of the last native speaker of Samala, the language of California's Chumash Indians, a UC Berkeley–trained linguist on April 18, 2008, presented the largest-ever Samala–English dictionary to members of the tribe's Santa Ynez branch. Richard Applegate based the 608-page work on the archives of John P. Harrington (1884–1961), including extensive notes and recorded interviews with Maria Solares, one of the last Chumash Samala speakers. The tribe contracted Applegate in 2003; he also teaches classes as part of the effort to revitalize the language. Nakia Zavalla, cultural director for the Chumash tribe of Santa Ynez, told The Los Angeles Times: "We won’t have to constantly go searching for our culture—now it’s right here." —Analee Pepper

City Hall Learns Spanish

Several Los Angeles City Hall officials are learning Spanish and using it in public forums in an effort to reach growing Spanish-speaking constituencies, according to a Los Angeles Times article published on April 14, 2008. Council President Eric Garcetti gives nearly all of his news conferences in English and Spanish. Councilwoman Jan Perry, who has a personal language tutor, has been holding bilingual news conferences for the past few years and issues all of her office’s public documents in both languages. Her southeast L.A. district includes much of downtown and skid row. Meanwhile, City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo and City Controller Laura Chick have participated in language-immersion programs in Mexico. Councilwoman Wendy Greuel also said that her use of Spanish has increased. An estimated 35% of Angelenos over the age of 18 speak Spanish at home. —Analee Pepper

Published: Thursday, May 8, 2008