Shoshone Language Reunion Begins at Comanche Nation

The Shoshone language reunion began on Monday, September 22, at the Comanche Nation Complex. The reunion will last until Wednesday, September 24.

Comanche Nation Shoshone Reunion Committee Chairman Don Tosee said it’s a gathering of Comanches and their Shoshone relatives.

“We came down south, and they stayed up north and about 20 years ago, 2000 or so, some of the elders got together, decided that it's an important thing to make sure that our language continues,” he said. “So, one of their strategies was to put this language reunion together and bring our tribes back together. We all share the same Uto-Aztecan language, different dialects, different pronunciations, but it's all similar. And so that was the main reason is to preserve our language.”

Tosee said they can build friendships and partnerships outside of learning the language.

“Maybe meet relatives that they hadn't seen in a while or make new friends,” he said. “And what that does is just builds that bond even stronger. And then whenever they start talking and, well, ‘Hey, so-and-so, I know so-and-so,’ the next thing you know, you're talking to a relative that you may not have known even before that. And so that just strengthens that bond between each other.”

There were breakout sessions throughout the day, and they included activities for all age groups.

“Our main objective is one: to help promote our language preservation. We have different activities, language classes, the breakout sessions, the panels between the elders of our Comanche relatives and the Shoshone relatives,” Tosee said. “They'll speak their different dialects, but then also that conversation, we'll be able to understand each other. And so that's one of our things is, we're trying to build that, strengthen that language bond. And then also with our youth and everybody we have different activities that they'll be involved in. And so, we're hoping that by including our youth, our language, that'll continue on.”

Educational outlets, including charter schools, were invited.

Tosee wanted to be more involved with the language.

“I wasn't taught really at home growing up, because our grandmother she was still in that era,” he said. “She had come through the boarding schools, and it was kind of looked upon, as if you're going to continue that language, she didn't want us to get any type of persecution or anything that they may have went through back in the day. And so, I didn't really get to learn a whole lot. We know some phrases and some words and things like that; [we] can count number-wise, but to speak it fluently is something that I really would like to learn how to do and...retain that. And I'd like to share that within my house with my family, with my son and my daughter, and be able to communicate with her.”

Tosee said they began fundraisers earlier in the year and enjoyed showing the Shoshones the same type of respect.

The day ended with the Ute Bear Dance and giveaways.