Re: Crows and Navajos

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "aryeh_lev" <aryeh_lev@...> wrote:

> Okay, I know this is getting further and further from IE, but I

just

> have to respond to this.
>
> > > --- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "tgpedersen" <tgpedersen@...>
> > wrote:
>
> > It struck me when I travelled in the USA and Canada in 1979 that
> the
> > various 'nations' fell into two categories: Either they'd given

up

> > their language and their society was in shambles as they were
> > themselves (Crows), or they were well-organised in an almost
> Chinese
> > or Japanese fashion (Navahos).
>
> Actually, Crow is often considered to be in a better position than
> most American languages. I have no personal experience with it, so

I

> can't say for sure, though. Navajo, on the other hand, is in by

far

> the best position of any American language in the US, and as such

is

> not a good basis of comparison for any of the others. I have no

idea

> what you mean, though, by "well-organised"; the Navajo Nation has
> myriad positive qualities, but organization is definitely not one

of

> them. Or does this somehow refer to language use? Either way, it
> doesn't seem accurate to me.
>

You're probably right. I'm basing my impression on two trips by car
and thumb in the 70's, and my information comes mostly from Native
American tourist centers.

Torsten