Andrew Cowell describes Arapaho language

University of Colorado Professor of Linguistics Andrew Cowell spoke to a crowd of over 40 at the Grange Hall in Niwot Aug. 21 as part of the Niwot Historical Society's Now & Then Lecture Series. Cowell has focused his research on Native American languages, and especially the Arapaho language, which he speaks, as well as efforts to preserve it.

He described how anthropologists learn about historic travels of indigenous peoples, in part by comparing languages of the Arapaho Cheyenne and other nearby tribes who once occupied this area of Colorado.

Cowell, who is not Native American, said most Arapahos now live in Oklahoma or on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming, but there is a recent trend of tribal members returning to this area of Colorado. "Arapaho and Cheyenne are related," Cowell said, sharing some common words in their languages. The tribes started in the northwestern part of what is now the United States, and migrated east.

He gave several demonstrations of conversations in Arapaho, and gave the correct spelling and pronunciation of Niwot in the Arapaho language, as "Nowo3", which produces a "th" sound at the end. He said the Arapaho and Cheyenne did not inhabit just the plains, but also spent considerable time in the mountains, as indicated by mountain places named by them.

"English has small words," Cowell said, but in the Arapaho language, several words are combined into one to describe something. He said the Arapaho language was first reduced to writing around 1900, but no further work was done by scholars until around 1960.

When asked if Northern Arapaho and Southern Arapaho languages were different, he responded that the language is essentially the same, but native speakers have "a slight difference in accents."

He noted that a recording made in 1914 of native Arapaho speakers describing place and plant names has been invaluable. Since most of the native speakers are in their 70s or more, Cowell described the process of involving younger Native Americans in trying to come up with words for "cell phone" and "laptop."

Cowell said that most homes on the Wind River Reservation are pre-fab or mobile homes, as the tribal members strive to improve the local economic outlook. He also noted that the Arapaho have a keen interest in the sport of basketball, with the Wyoming Indian High School in Wind River having won a state record five-straight state championships in the 1990s. Their story is documented in a 2003 film entitled "Chiefs."

Cross country is another sport in which the Arapaho have excelled, Cowell said. He described the casino operated at Riverton, Wyoming, as an important aspect of the tribal economy because it provides steady middle-class jobs, as well as income to the tribe. "There is a huge influx of people coming back to their culture in Oklahoma," he noted.

Cowell also discussed the indifference of the U.S. government to the Native Americans in the 1800s and 1900s as they were removed from their ancestral homes. He said the Eastern Shoshone tribe shares the Wind River Reservation with the Arapaho, but the two tribes were traditional enemies.

He described runs which started in 2001 from Wyoming to the Sand Creek Massacre site in southeastern Colorado, where Chief Niwot likely died of wounds. "Vans come along for support," Cowell said. "The Native Americans make relationships with families along the way, who are often descendants of settlers who forced them out of Colorado."

On Sept. 28, the University of Colorado will host a pow-wow and dance festival, which will involve many different tribes. He encouraged the audience members to attend to gain a better understanding of Native American culture.