(“Let’s look closer”)
Ready for Launch: Shawnee Dictionary Now Available Online
For the past three years, staff linguist Anastasia Miller-Youst has been gathering thousands of Shawnee words and phrases, leading teams of interns, and working with SLIP’s first language specialist George Blanchard and community language preservationists (CLPs) on a massive undertaking—creating a searchable archive and online dictionary for saawanwaatoweewe (Shawnee language).
Part of the Indigenous Languages Digital Archive (ILDA), the dictionary is now available to all Shawnee people and language learners. The Shawnee ILDA also serves as a central archive for the primary sources used by the Shawnee Language Immersion Program’s curriculum development and research projects.
“When Terry Hinsley joined the team as a CLP, I knew he had the understanding of the language to help make it a reality,” said Anastasia. “He took the materials I gave him, expanded them, and also added audio for every single entry.”
Anastasia and the SLIP team have populated the dictionary with over 3,000 words and phrases thus far and will continually add more. Users may also submit requests for words they’d like to see added by using the dictionary’s feedback feature.
“It really was a team effort because as Terry was making entries, he would ask me questions about grammar rules, and we would often go to George Blanchard with all sorts of questions to help us make accurate entries. We have already created such a valuable resource and we’re not even done yet.”
Sign up here for the Shawnee ILDA.
Current users of SLIPstream, the Tribe’s online classroom portal, can access the Shawnee ILDA by clicking the announcement banner at the top of the homepage after logging on and requesting an account using the provided link.
If you are not enrolled in SLIPstream but would like access to the classroom portal, please email shawneelanguage@shawnee-tribe.com or call (918) 542-2441, ext. 109 for assistance.
TA KEEWAKI: Learn Shawnee Numbers and Colors with this Card Game
George Blanchard and Karl Meyer spent much of the last year hard at work developing ta keewaki (not yet!), a Shawnee card game for 3-10 players. Nostalgic and familiar as far as the rules of gameplay, ta keewaki helps players learn how to speak and read colors and numbers in saawanwaatoweewe (Shawnee language).
Citizens and SLIP participants may order up to three decks—pay only shipping. Shipping costs are $7 for 1 deck, $9 for 2 and $12 for 3.
Orders will be accepted through May 31 and will ship in early June.
or call (918) 542-2441 to place your order over the phone.
The Shawnee Tribe is set to be featured in the upcoming release of Sid Meier’s Civilization VII, a popular video game series that enables players to build and lead their own civilizations in their attempt to stand the test of time. Developed by Firaxis Games and published by 2K, the Civilization franchise is well-regarded not only for its entertainment value […]
We’ve moved things around a bit on the Shawnee Tribal Courts webpage now that Shawnee Tribe District Court case information is available in the On Demand Court Records database at ODCR.com. To search the open records, click the ‘Search Case Records’ button on the Courts page. In the search query at ODCR, select ‘Shawnee Tribe District Court’ from the list of options […]
Welcome to ta’saawanwaatoweeyakwe, the new blog series dedicated to the Shawnee Language Immersion Program’s happenings and language preservation work. Now that we are most of the way through the first year of our Master-Apprentice program, we wanted to share some of our work. Each week we focus on a new concept, and we had a lot […]
Messages from the Chiefs: Summer 2024 — Chief Barnes discusses highlights from tribal programs, including Higher Education Awards and the Indian Child Welfare Office. Chief Baldridge emphasizes the importance of diplomacy and inter-governmental work.
Contributors: Coral Avery, Princella RedCorn One of the most important crops grown in Shawnee villages before removal westward was lokhaana taami (flour corn). This corn variety, rich in vitamins and minerals, was used to make flour, which was instrumental in providing food for saawanooki (Shawnee people) through the winter months. It was also significant in […]
In the spirit of transparency and offering comprehensive election information to tribal citizens, the Shawnee Tribe Communications Department initiated the annual Meet the Candidates series in 2021. Candidates for Secretary: Jana Edwards-Johnson and Carolyn Foster (Incumbent). Candidates for Business Council Seat 3: Morris Bluejacket, Drew Dixon, Gregory Jones, and Elena Staubus. Unopposed Candidates: Roy Baldridge, incumbent candidate […]
The Shawnee Tribe has partnered with the School of Dance at the University of Oklahoma to present the 2024 Five Moons Dance Festival, August 24-25. Free, roundtrip charter bus transportation to the festival is available from Miami, OK, and Tulsa, OK, on a first-come, first-served basis. Special-rate hotel rooms in Norman are also available. Those who commit to an […]
Construction work on the Golden Mesa Casino expansion is progressing and currently on track for completion in the summer of 2025. “Weather is always a challenge in the panhandle, but our construction team continues to push forward to meet the projected completion date,” said Shawnee Development President Chris Floyd. “The site has recovered quickly from […]