Portland State University is honored to host the Oregon Tribal Language Speaker Series. Our tribal partners will present their language program’s history, revitalization efforts, and future projects.
Takelma Tribal Language Program
Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians
Elizabeth Bryant is the Takelma Language Lead Teacher Learner. She is currently studying the language while teaching a variety of classes, and has continued to do this for 5 years. Elizabeth would eventually like to speak Takelma as her primary language. She is a Nahánkʰuotana, a Cow Creek Umpqua Citizen. She is pursuing a bachelor's degree at PSU.
The Takelma Language Program strives to unite our Cow Creek Umpqua Tribal families and community. Our goal is to make language available to all Tribal citizens, so it can be spoken and continue to uphold the cultural identity of the Cow Creek people. The current class offerings for Takelma are weekly community-based conversational classes, preschool classes, K-8 classes, and family language classes. There are online and in-person students attending, hoping to become proficient speakers of Takelma. The Takelma language was previously sleeping but is now being revived. In the face of adversity, Takelma language continues on.