Tonkawa Tribe of Oklahoma

The Tonkawa Tribe will conduct a yearlong project to preserve the Tonkawa language through outreach to youth. With only a few Tonkawa native language speakers alive, this project is focused on teaching the language to children by developing a coloring book with simple pictures and Tonkawa words, a pronunciation guide, and an audio CD with words pronounced by a Tonkawa native language speaker. These materials will be delivered to caregivers at Tonkawa home daycares, Tonkawa Elementary Public School students in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, and students in the Tonkawa tribal afterschool program. The project will expose tribal members and non-tribal members to Tonkawa language and culture to help preserve the Tonkawa language for future generations.