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In secluded spots like this one near Black River Falls, Ho-Chunk tribal member Andrew Thundercloud learned the ways of his people from his grandfather, who spoke only Ho-Chunk. Now that language, so central to Thundercloud's life and tribe, is threatened with loss. Andrew Thundercloud visits the now-abandoned home near Black River Falls of his late grandfather, his first time back inside it in more than 40 years. His grandfather, who spoke only Ho-Chunk, believed the fate of his tribe was tied to its language. Thundercloud now works to save that language. Whenever Ojibwe language and culture teacher David Bisonette attends a funeral, he wonders whether any fluent speakers of his people's language will be left to perform his own burial ceremony in the traditional way. Members of his tribe traditionally believe their spirits speak only Ojibwe and need a living speaker to help guide them on their trip to the blessed place in the afterlife. Lester Skeesuck, a Narragansett Indian shown here in ceremonial dress, was part of the Brothertown Indian tribe in Wisconsin and was one of the last known speakers of the Mohegan language. That tribal language was lost in Wisconsin decades ago, although there are now efforts by a related tribe in Connecticut to revive it.
David Grignon, director of the Menominee tribe's Historic Preservation Office, is working to help save a language that is unique to Wisconsin and that has only 10 to 20 native speakers left. Lillian Nelson, a revered Menominee elder who died in July, was one of the few remaining native speakers of her tribe's language and a teacher to many younger tribal members seeking to learn it.    
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