Interview · South Dakota · Sidney Byrd · OSEU 3
Themes: Language & revitalization, Kinship & family, Storytelling & oral tradition, Education & learning, Boarding schools & assimilation, Values & generosity, Culture & continuity, Listening & observation, Intergenerational learning
Learn About questions
What parts of the culture are lost when the language is lost? Are there any parts that stay strong even among those who don’t speak the language?
How much discrimination do native service men and women experience in the US armed forces today?
Learn From questions
Have you ever had a teacher or someone in authority demand to read or see a private note or letter?
Have you experienced discrimination in some way? Can you share that story?
What do you know or have you seen in the news concerning discrimination in public settings such as the armed forces, government positions or in educational institutions? What do you think should be done about these issues?
Transcripts
The Army Language Censor - Sidney Byrd - OSEU #3
Watch this interview on YouTubeThat’s true. The language is the heart and soul of any culture. I can still read and write my language…speak it. As a matter of fact, when I was in the Army, during World War II, my grandfather wrote to me in our language…they censored our letters just like boarding school. The censor called me in…my grandfather wrote to me in our language…”Soldier, I want you to tell me what’s in your letter. I said, “Why should I? That’s personal. That’s private. You don’t let me read yours.” “I demand you tell me what’s in that letter. That’s an order!” “Yessir.”
“Dear grandfather, I have a kind, compassionate, commanding officer that takes good care of his men and he loves them dearly.” “Get out of here!”
Resource text
Learn ABOUT Learn FROM
(deep listening, information) (deep sharing, transformation)
1. What parts of the culture are lost 1. Have you ever had a teacher or
when the language is lost? Are there someone in authority demand to
any parts that stay strong even read or see a private note or letter?
among those who don’t speak the How did that feel? What did you do?
language? 2. Have you experienced discrimination
2. How much discrimination do native in some way? Can you share that
service men and women experience story?
in the US armed forces today? 3. What do you know or have you seen
in the news concerning
discrimination in public settings such
as the armed forces, government
positions or in educational
institutions? What do you think
should be done about these issues?
OSEU 3: INTERVIEW WITH SIDNEY BYRD
WoLakota Project
From the current WoLakota source page:
The Army Language Censor
Sidney Byrd
Transcript
(deep listening, information)
(deep listening, transformation)
Some indexed text was extracted from scanned material. Check the original source for exact wording and spelling.
Source materials
Supplied transcript document. Text preserved as supplied; spellings and transcription uncertainties have not been corrected.
Additional source transcripts
The Army Language Censor
The Army Language Censor - Sidney Byrd - OSEU
#3
That’s true. The language is the heart and soul of any culture. I can still read and
write my language…speak it. As a matter of fact, when I was in the Army, during
World War II, my grandfather wrote to me in our language…they censored our letters
just like boarding school. The censor called me in…my grandfather wrote to me in
our language…”Soldier, I want you to tell me what’s in your letter. I said, “Why should
I? That’s personal. That’s private. You don’t let me read yours.” “I demand you tell
me what’s in that letter. That’s an order!” “Yessir.”
“Dear grandfather, I have a kind, compassionate, commanding officer that takes
good care of his men and he loves them dearly.” “Get out of here!”