A post by Valerie Guerin on the Research Network for Linguistics Diversity list leads to a new source of funding open to individuals, groups, and organizations for language work (the Genographic Legacy Fund) on endangered languages (grant application deadline June 15 and December 15).
It also leads to a rather interesting web-site which has time-aligned maps showing the distribution of human genetic markers, and ‘highlights of the human journey’. The latter include sites of occupation like Panaramitee and Arnhem Land as Sahul sites, languages like Burushaski and Na-Dene, and a map of modern language family distribution (only rock-solid families included: Australia and the Americas are listed as “Indo-European” and “Other”, while PNG is “Austronesian” and “Other” ).
Follow7 thoughts on “Genographic project: endangered language grants and web maps”
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Interesting that this organisation aims to collect genetic samples from a wide range of people(s). I know that there have been objections in the past from indigenous people to being subjected to sampling from the first world. Is there any link between funding for language work and providing genetic material?
No link explicitly made… but let’s hope that they intend to explain to people what they’re doing, and why it may be useful. Sheila van Holst Pellekaan has a good account of this (Genetic research: what does this mean for Indigenous Australian communities?
Australian Aboriginal Studies, March, 2000 65-75). She did intensive negotiation with people of the Darling River about mitochondrial DNA sampling. Negotiation, not consultation, she says. It seems to have resulted in both scientists and Darling River people thinking that it was a helpful process. Later results of her work hit the news last year.
OK, well following your link and visiting next door to it I got a good discussion of Genographics: “Ghosts of past haunt new gene project” – http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/s1351656.htm
Belgae DNA Modal & Nordic-Celtic Project
I have come up with this – Belgae DNA Modal through my Nordic-Celtic DNA project (1008 members).
here and here.
Investigating the contribution that archaeology has made to accounts of human evolution
Accounts of human evolution usually revolve around well-publicised discoveries of the bony remains of our ancestors. These do allow us to piece together our family tree and to paint – at least in broad outline – a picture of the ancestors who appear on that tree. But it is the archaeological record that preserves actual traces of our ancestors’ activities and intuition suggests that these ought to be fundamental to our accounts of human evolution. However, this is far from being the case and this project is designed to explore why this is so.
it’s great to know about the endangered language project.i have a proposal for language preservation,promotion and develpment of west african ‘PIDGIN ENGLISH’which can be harnessed for cultural expressions:poetry,drama,songs,music and book translations.is this eligible for support under the current program.
thank you
best wishes
You’d need to get directly in touch with the people who give the grants (from the link on the blog post). Other sources are the Foundation for Endangered languages, the Endangered languages foundation, and the Hans Rausing Endangered languages program – search for them on the internet and you should find their details
I run the Khmer language program in Surin province where majority of population speak Khmer. However, we are now integrated into Thailand. I have found Khmer Literacy Project in September 2006 aims at protecting the fading away of the Khmer Language in Surin province. I have been struggling to get funded but I don’t have any. Would you please let me know which and where I can apply for it?
Thank you.
Mongkol