Writings from ALASKA S. Pam MaGee's DITTO Service from the ~ Chinook Journal ~

DITTO - Diversity Integration Tools for Teaching Others - is a tool useful in efforts to provide a fun way to learn the Alaskan Native dialect. Designed for school age children, it is a means to compare familiar words known through English and challenge the student body to learn the same words in the Eskimo & Athabaskan dialect. It is by no means a tool for teaching the proper grammar of these difficult territorial languages, just a way to provide the differences, in a simple and fun way. Each week, a different set of words will be available on this site. It will be limited to three words, as to not overwhelm the already busy school day curriculum. Just print it out and hang in a conspicuous place in the schoolroom. Why DITTO? I was not at all familiar with the languages common to the indigenous cultures that have called Alaska home for well over 10,000 years. My writings challenged my curiosity, to learn words that could be integrated into some of those writings. So with that in mind, the DITTO became a reality. Try it, as it is fun to see and hear the differences with common everyday words we take for granted! CopyRight 2007 Eagle Rock Press/ MSK Media