Presentation Year

2017

Depreciated Participant

Jocelyn EdmondsonNative American Studies Undergraduate Student

College or Department

Short Description of your Research or Creative Project (700 characters or less)

Wailaki is an indigenous Northern California language within the Dene (Athabaskan) language family historically spoken in the Eel River basin. The language is categorized as a 'sleeping' language as there are no longer living first language speakers; however, there are second language learners today. This project examines translations in texts for words used in the Wailaki directional system and determines if this system is closer to river-based systems common to Northwestern California, or cardinal direction-based systems. In addition, this research discusses the extent to which geospatial references may have been preferred to relative frames of reference involving the body (left, right).

Permission to Publish Work

Yes

Node ID

268

Page Classification