Audio Story

Wukchumni

Episode four of a six-part audio series exploring the struggle for Indigenous language survival in California.
Length: 27 min.

Episode Four brings us to the home of Marie Wilcox—the last fluent speaker of the Wukchumni language and the creator of the only Wukchumni dictionary. Younger generations of language learners often rely on both fluent elders and physical resources: Marie’s dictionary has been an inspiration to four generations of her family and to Indigenous communities around the world.

More to Explore

Audio Story
Kawaiisu

In this episode, we meet Julie Girado Turner, who, for nearly two decades, has been documenting and recording her father and aunt, the last fluent speakers of the Kawaiisu language.

Audio Story
The Power of Revitalization

In this episode of the “Language Keepers” audio series, we hear from the speakers of four endangered languages, who resist predictions of their language's extinction.

Audio Story
Colonizing California

This episode introduces language revitalization efforts in four Indigenous California communities and examines the colonizing histories that brought Indigenous languages to the brink of disappearance.