Indigenous Language Preservation Through Collaborative Children's Book
A father and son from Oregon have collaborated on a children's book that teaches wildlife names in Kalapuya and Chinook languages, with illustrations by the son and linguistic research by the father.
David G. Lewis, an assistant professor of anthropology and Indigenous studies at Oregon State University, created the book "Kalapuya-Chinuk wawa Ikanum" with his son, Saghaley Lewis, as a way to preserve and teach Indigenous languages (1). The book includes scenes of local wildlife and provides the names of these animals in English, Kalapuya, and Chinook languages, along with a glossary of terms (1). Lewis worked with experts to ensure the accuracy of the language spellings and included historical context about the language programs (1). [1]
Saghaley Lewis, who is 25 years old, did the illustrations for the book. He is self-taught but has studied visual communications and multimedia arts at Chemeketa Community College and video and game design at Salem’s Career Technical Education Center (1). His artwork draws inspiration from various sources, including Spanish illustrator Carles Dalmau and animated series from Glitch Productions (1). [1]
The book is being sold at several locations, including the Springfield History Museum and the Spirit Mountain Casino, and can also be ordered online (1). Madeline McGraw, the curator of the Springfield History Museum, praised the book for its educational value and the significance of the collaboration between David G. Lewis and his son (1). She noted that the book provides an important resource for learning about the Kalapuya language, which has been impacted by colonization and is not widely spoken anymore (1). [1]
David G. Lewis, an assistant professor of anthropology and Indigenous studies at Oregon State University, collaborated with his 25-year-old son, Saghaley Lewis, to create the 26-page book titled “Kalapuya-Chinuk wawa Ikanum” (1). The book features illustrations by Saghaley Lewis and includes a full listing of glossary terms at the back, providing the names of plants and animals in all three languages (1). Lewis drew the actual spellings from experts and included historical context on the language programs themselves (1). [1]
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The younger Lewis, who is largely self-taught but has studied visual communications and multimedia arts, was inspired by artists such as Carles Dalmau and animated series from Glitch Productions (1). His artwork blends elements of Western cartooning and manga-ish anime, and has been featured in various places, including the Springfield History Museum and the Spirit Mountain Casino (1). [1]
Madeline McGraw, the curator of the Springfield History Museum, praised the book as an important resource for the public, especially for children, noting the lack of materials available for learning about the Kalapuya language (1). She expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration between David G. Lewis and his son, highlighting the striking and amazing artwork by Saghaley Lewis (1). [1]
Saghaley Lewis is currently working on a new book with his mother, Donna, focusing on special education students and featuring his illustrations (1). Once completed, he and his father plan to explore further collaborations on children’s books that explore Indigenous languages (1). [1]
David G. Lewis, an assistant professor of anthropology and Indigenous studies at Oregon State University, collaborated with his 25-year-old son, Saghaley Lewis, to create the book 'Kalapuya-Chinuk wawa Ikanum.' The book features illustrations by Saghaley Lewis and includes the names of wildlife in English, Kalapuya, and Chinook languages (1). The project was inspired by a similar children’s board book produced by the Cow Creek Tribe, which shared animal names in the Takelma language (1). [1]
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The book includes a full listing of glossary terms at the back, which provides readers with the names of the featured plants and animals in all three languages. For example, the name for deer is also 'atálim' and 'mawich' (1). Lewis stated that he obtained the actual spellings from experts and included a brief history on the language programs in the book (1). [1]
Saghaley Lewis, who is largely self-taught but has studied visual communications and multimedia arts, was inspired by artists such as Carles Dalmau and animated series from Glitch Productions (1). The book can be found at several locations, including the Springfield History Museum and the Spirit Mountain Casino, and can also be ordered online (1). [1]
Sources
Prepared with AI assistance from the cited sources.
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