The University of Nebraska’s Buffett Early Childhood Institute has highlighted the work of Amy Encinger, PhD, assistant professor in the Munroe-Meyer Institute Department of Education and Child Development at UNMC, as she helps spread the Winnebago Tribe’s teaching of the Ho-Chunk language.
Dr. Encinger recently was one of 21 recipients of a Racial Equity Research Grant through the Spencer Foundation for her Early Childhood Ho-Chunk Revitalization Project.
In a new feature article on the work, the Buffett Institute explains: The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska has been working for years to revive its language through the Ho-Chunk Renaissance Project, providing more instruction in local schools, training language apprentices, and creating learning materials and curriculum in Ho-Chunk.
It continues: The grant supports teacher stipends and other costs for the Wednesday night Ho-Chunk classes through this summer and next, plus professional development sessions through the upcoming school year. Dr. Encinger and evaluators will also study how the teachers incorporate language into their classrooms and whether and how children pick up on it.
In the article, Dr. Encinger said language and strong ties to family culture are considered protective factors, meaning they can help build resilience, buffering children against the negative effects of stress and trauma.
"How can we help build that in kids, to be proud of their culture and proud of their language?" Dr. Encinger said. "They were not always allowed to speak the language; they were not always allowed to celebrate their culture."
Read the full article by the Buffett Early Childhood Institute here.