Dictionary and alphabet creator returns
Derek Neary
Northern News Services
Fort Simpson (Mar 02/01) - While doing research in a New York library in 1952, missionary Philip Howard decided he would embark on a linguistic quest leading him to the Mackenzie Valley.
Having a flair for languages and an interest in aboriginal peoples, Howard was determined to take up the challenge of developing Dene languages in writing.
Speaking not a word of Slavey, he and his wife, Margaret, made their way to Nahanni Butte in 1953. Over the course of 14 years, he spent thousands of hours learning the language from Mary Kraus, Jimmy Betsaka, Joseph Konisenta and Albert Konisenta.
"Jimmy in particular was able to explain a lot of stuff to me that I found confusing," Howard recalled, adding that Slavey verb forms can run into the teens. "We'd spend many, many hours writing out this paradigm so I could understand the system."
He would also hook up his dog team and join the local men on their traplines.
"So that way I'd only be hearing Slavey, I wouldn't be hearing English," he said. "It's not the kind of language you can just pick up unless you spend full-time living in the bush among the people."
It took Howard five years to create a Slavey alphabet based on phonemics or "meaningful sounds." It is so comprehensive it encompasses every sound in the language and is still used today.
"Once I got the alphabet correct then I could figure out the grammar," he said. "It's a very complex language."
Prior to his work, Roman Catholic and Anglican missionaries had recorded some of the language, but their writings largely hinged on English, French or even some syllabics.
Howard spent a total of 35 years in the North, also living in Hay River and Yellowknife. Having a grasp of Dogrib and Chipewyan grammar in addition to Slavey, Howard has given courses in all three languages at Aurora College. He had also worked for 10 years as the Department of Education's Dene linguist.
In 1990, he published a Slavey verb dictionary, containing more than 4,000 verbs. He now knows of another 1,500 verbs to add to that compilation and is sure there are even more to come.
Now residing in Thunder Bay, Ont., Howard has returned to the Deh Cho to teach a two-week literacy in an aboriginal language course.
He said he's never encountered any resentment from First Nations people for being in a position to instruct them in their mother tongue.
On the contrary, he said, "By and large they've seemed really appreciative that somebody has taken that much interest in their language."
