In 1911-1912, French-Canadian anthropologist Marius Barbeau spent a year
recording forty texts in the Wyandot language as spoken by native
speakers in Oklahoma. Though he intended to return and complete his
linguistic study, he never did. More than a century later Forty
Narratives in the Wyandot Language continues Barbeau's work. John
Steckley provides an engaging analysis and fresh translation of the
texts in order to preserve the traditional language and cultural
heritage of the Wyandot or Wendat people. Leveraging four decades of
studying the dialects of Wyandot and Wendat and his role as tribal
linguist for the Wyandotte Nation, the author corrects errors in
Barbeau's earlier text while adding personal anecdotes to provide
readers with a unique comparative work. The stories in this collection,
largely drawn from the traditional folklore of the Wyandot people and
told in a language that has been dormant for decades, act as a time
capsule for traditional tales, Indigenous history, humour, and Elder
knowledge. Steckley's new translation not only aids Wyandot peoples of
Oklahoma, Kansas, and Michigan in reclaiming their language but also
gives researchers worldwide a rich, up-to-date reference for linguistic
study. A significant literary record of a people and a language, Forty
Narratives in the Wyandot Language is a major contribution to the
preservation and revitalization of an Indigenous language in North
America.
