Revitalization and the Kubishi Dictionary
Like most Indigenous languages of North America, Owens Valley Paiute is endangered: the number of fluent first-language speakers is small, and most are elders. In response, the community and its partners have invested in documentation (recording speakers, compiling dictionaries and grammars) and revitalization (teaching the language to new learners of all ages). This wiki is one small piece of that effort.
The Nüümü Yadoha Language Program
The heart of this work in the Owens Valley is the Nüümü Yadoha Language Program, run through the Owens Valley Career Development Center (OVCDC). It teaches Owens Valley Paiute directly to interested learners of all ages through regular classes offered both in-person and online.
The program also maintains a language archive that houses recordings of speakers, lessons, and other materials gathered over many years. Interested learners are welcome to visit in person and request copies of recordings.
Nüümü Yadoha Language Program (OVCDC) 536 N. Barlow Lane, Bishop, California ovcdc.com/language
The Kubishi Dictionary
The word links throughout this site point to the Kubishi Dictionary, an online Owens Valley Paiute dictionary.
All words and sentences in this dictionary are from Glenn Nelson Jr.'s Owens Valley Paiute Dictionary. This website is made possible through his work and the contributions of the native speakers and elders he collaborated with.
Special thanks to Norma Nelson, elder and fluent speaker/teacher of the Bishop Paiute Tribe, as well as to the following Paiute speakers from across Payahuunadü: Albert Meredith, Ethie Meredith, Andy Garrison, Maude Shaw, Ruth Brown, and Margie Jones.