Report by Hannah Grace Humphreys (Linguistics)
Thanks to the support of the CALL Uehiro Program, I conducted documentary fieldwork toward creating a corpus of metaphorical and idiomatic expressions and proverbial speech within Northern Marquesan, also called ‘Eo Enana, an under-documented Austronesian language spoken by approximately 3,500 people on Nuku Hiva, Northern Marquesas, French Polynesia. ‘Eo Enana has little formal linguistic documentation. Due to government policies and shifting ideologies, language shift across the peripheral islands of French Polynesia is rarely contested.
Within these peripheral islands, there has been a documented decline in the use of local languages, as incorporation into the French Republic has prompted waves of ‘Francization’ and ‘Tahitianization.’ In close collaboration with the Académie marquisienne—the local de facto language authority—I created a corpus of language that surrounds a variety of themes: clouds, breadfruit, legends, and temporal expressions, to name a few. From heading to hoe va’a practice to enjoying the haka manu performed at July 14th celebrations, I’ve had an unparalleled opportunity for immersion in ‘Eo Enana as it is spoken today. This linguistic competency will make future, deeper, and responsible research in the region possible.
To conduct ethical research is to make a sincere attempt to establish a connection to a new community of care. In speaking with elders in the community of the island of Nuku Hiva, I have been moved by the resilience, joyfulness, and unshakeable pride of the Enana in their language and home. My research developed to include a project on the origins of the language revitalization movement, through which I often learned directly from community members in their own words. The investment I’ve been able to make in the community of the Marquesas will serve as the foundation for all of my further work in the region, a door opened by the support of the CALL Uehiro Program.