Endangered Languages Project

ALSO KNOWN AS		Tonika, Tunixka
CLASSIFICATION		Isolate, North American
CODE AUTHORITY		ISO 639-3
LANGUAGE CODE		tun
DOWNLOAD		As csv
MORE RESOURCES		OLAC search

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Information from: “Tunica Tulane Language Project” .

Awakening
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
The last speaker of Tunica, Sesostrie Youchigant, passed away in 1949; therefore there are no native, second-language or semi speakers of the language (Youchgant himself appears to have been a semi-speaker). However the Tunica-Biloxi tribe is working to change the situation, aiming lessons, classes, and learning materials at both children and adult tribe members.

MORE ON VITALITY

While the last native speaker of Tunica passed away in 1949, The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Marksville, Louisana has been working with the Tulane Linguistics department to revitalize the Tunica language for the past two years. Using documents produced by Albert Gatschet, John Swanton and Mary Haas, the Tunica Tulane Language Project has created an updated orthography, written Tunica prayers, and produced several Tunica children's books with accompanying recording in Tunica. Lesson plans have also been created, and the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe held its first Tunica language camp in the summer of 2012. Current projects include producing an updated Tunica dictionary as well as an illustrated dictionary for children, creating a pedagogical grammar based on Haas, and producing digital, interactive language learning tools to accompany an ever increasing number of lesson plans. So while Tunica is currently sleeping, the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe is very adamantly trying to rouse it from its slumber.

PLACES: USA

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Marksville, Louisiana

Dormant
0
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
"No known L1 speakers ... Became extinct after 1950" (Golla 2007).

DATE OF INFO: 2007

PLACES: USA

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: "North central Louisiana."

Awakening
Ø
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Tunica, a heritage language of the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Marksville, Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana, was spoken in the 17th and 18th century along the Mississippi River near Vicksburg, Mississippi ... the principal documentation is by Haas, who collected extensive data between 1933 and 1939 and published a grammar, a grammatical sketch, a dictionary, and a collection of texts. The last speaker, with whom Haas worked, died after 1950.

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

PLACES: USA

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Marksville, Louisiana

	2012	Tunica Tulane Language Project						The Tulane University of Louisiana	https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tunica-Tulane-Language-Project/112358728868061?fref=ts		2012. "Tunica Tulane Language Project." Online: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tunica-Tulane-Language-Project/112358728868061?fref=ts.			Awakening	The last speaker of Tunica, Sesostrie Youchigant, passed away in 1949; therefore there are no native, second-language or semi speakers of the language (Youchgant himself appears to have been a semi-speaker). However the Tunica-Biloxi tribe is working to change the situation, aiming lessons, classes, and learning materials at both children and adult tribe members.		Awakening ()	While the last native speaker of Tunica passed away in 1949, The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Marksville, Louisana has been working with the Tulane Linguistics department to revitalize the Tunica language for the past two years. Using documents produced by Albert Gatschet, John Swanton and Mary Haas, the Tunica Tulane Language Project has created an updated orthography, written Tunica prayers, and produced several Tunica children's books with accompanying recording in Tunica. Lesson plans have also been created, and the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe held its first Tunica language camp in the summer of 2012. Current projects include producing an updated Tunica dictionary as well as an illustrated dictionary for children, creating a pedagogical grammar based on Haas, and producing digital, interactive language learning tools to accompany an ever increasing number of lesson plans. So while Tunica is currently sleeping, the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe is very adamantly trying to rouse it from its slumber.	USA	Marksville, Louisiana	31.126700, -92.066100
18th	2015	Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 18th Edition			Lewis, M. Paul, Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig	SIL International	Dallas, Texas		http://www.ethnologue.com		Lewis, M. Paul, Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig (eds.). 2015. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Eighteenth edition. Dallas, Texas: SIL International. Online version: http://www.ethnologue.com.	0	2007		"No known L1 speakers ... Became extinct after 1950" (Golla 2007).		Dormant ()		USA	"North central Louisiana."
	2008	North America	Atlas of the World's Languages	7-41	Chris Moseley and Ron Asher	Routledge	London			Victor Golla and Ives Goddard and Lyle Campbell and Marianne Mithun and Mauricio Mixco	Victor Golla, Ives Goddard, Lyle Campbell, Marianne Mithun and Mauricio Mixco. 2008. "North America." In Atlas of the World's Languages, edited by Chris Moseley and Ron Asher. 7-41. Routledge.	Ø		Awakening	Tunica, a heritage language of the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Marksville, Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana, was spoken in the 17th and 18th century along the Mississippi River near Vicksburg, Mississippi ... the principal documentation is by Haas, who collected extensive data between 1933 and 1939 and published a grammar, a grammatical sketch, a dictionary, and a collection of texts. The last speaker, with whom Haas worked, died after 1950.	English	Awakening ()		USA	Marksville, Louisiana

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