BILLINGS — A new course at MSU-Billings aims to preserve and enrich Native American culture in Montana.
For the first time, the university is offering a pilot Crow language class to full-time students, dual-enrollment students, and community members, in hopes of helping Native Apsaalooke people connect with their culture inside the classroom.
Learn how the Crow language class is helping students connect with their family, culture, and dialect in the video below:
The first day of classes at MSU-B began in early September, and the Crow language class is taught on Monday and Wednesday evenings.
So far only three classes have been taught, but students have already learned part of the Crow alphabet, greetings, and the meaning behind their Crow names (if applicable).
On Wednesday, MTN asked three Crow students why they were taking the course.
For dual-enrollment high school senior, Whitney Robinson, she said she was taking the course to learn how to converse with her family in their native language.
"My grandpa, he speaks Crow, and like I have a lot of family members that are older that speak Crow, and just being able to understand them," she said. "Preserving culture, being able to connect with my peers and my elders."
Similarly, MSU-B senior, Cyra Plainfeather who's studying nursing, wants to be able to connect with her Native family, and keep their language alive.
"I'm part Crow and I really... love the culture," she said. "Our language (goes along so much) with our culture and I know that the Crow language is dying, and if we're able to bring that back, then we're able to bring back our practices and other parts of our culture."
MSU-B freshman Alejandro Enemyhunter, who's studying criminal justice and forensic science, signed up for the course for the same reasons as Robinson and Plainfeather, preserving his Native culture and connecting with his family.
"I wanted to connect to my culture more. I have lots of family and friends who speak Crow. I want to be able to speak to them in Crow and understand them," said Enemyhunter. "I like how (the class) is allowing the Native community and their kids to reach out to learn more about the culture and our language, 'cuz that is slowly disappearing over time."
The course is taught by veteran teacher, Lisa Stevens, who is also an English teacher at Billings West High School.
Stevens' first language is Crow, although she only grew up speaking the language, not reading nor writing it. According to Stevens, the Crow language dictionary wasn't published until the 1970s. She said it wasn't until she went to Little Big Horn College as an adult that she learned to read and write in Crow.
"I guess it was probably my first language, 'cuz that's what I heard the most as a small child... I think I was bilingual by the time I could speak," Stevens said.
Because Stevens didn't learn to read or write in Crow until she began college, she said instructing the course at MSU-B allows her to learn alongside the students, occasionally.
"English, you just learn, 'cuz you go to school. But, the Crow language, the written part was really difficult for me, 'cuz I had to let go of the English language," Stevens said.
On Wednesday, Stevens told MTN she thinks the course is important as it will prevent the Crow language from dying out. According to Stevens, the students, so far, have been curious, interested, and intrigued, in the course's material.
"They seem so willing and anxious to learn. So, that's really exciting," she said. "They're really grateful that it's being offered here."
According to Ana Diaz, the chair of the English, Philosophy, and Modern Languages Department at MSU-B, the university wants to be more inclusive in the variety of languages offered, especially languages native to the region.
"I think that really highlighting the languages and the culture that are in Montana is important to us," Diaz said Tuesday. "We have courses in Korean, Chinese, Spanish, French, and so this is such a great addition to us."
Diaz said although the class is only a pilot, if enough students or community members are interested in the course this semester, it can become permanent.
"This is a really unique opportunity for students and community members," she said.
