Comanche Language Class of the Toya Band

Language: Comanche

Program Base: Community setting in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico

Goals:

1. To develop fluency.
2. To retain language skills.
3. To gain knowledge of the tribe's history.
4. To involve preschool and early elementary-aged children.

Brief Description:
The instructor for the Toya Band Comanche Language Class is a volunteer who is fluent in the Comanche language. With permission from the tribe to teach the language, she first conducted a class of 15-20 students in Albuquerque and later added a class in Santa Fe. Each class meets one evening per week for two hours at a community setting. The instructor has tried different techniques for teaching the language, the most recent of which is total immersion. Children and adults who are Comanches or spouses of Comanches may participate. Current participants range in age from older youth to elders.

Materials:
Children's stories, books, audiotapes (when available), videos (when available), Comanche alphabet, Comanche dictionary, handouts and information from the Comanche Language and Cultural Preservation Committee.

Support:
The only funds supporting the language class are private donations for the purchase of needed supplies. Otherwise, the class relies on volunteers and gets information from the Comanche Language and Cultural Preservation Committee.

Contact Information:

Geneva W. Navarro, Class Instructor 2811 Camino Del Bosque Santa Fe, NM 87505 (505) 471-3831/ Fax: (505) 292-1521

Edward Wapp, Jr., Teacher and Alternate Instructor for the Comanche Language Class Institute of American Indian Arts P. O. Box 20007 Santa Fe, NM 87504 ewapp@iaiancad.org (505) 988-6415 / Fax: (505) 988-6455