Revitalizing a dormant language from 80-year-old manuscripts

Is it possible to revitalize a dormant language that’s no longer spoken?

Yes! You just have to have the right materials—a dictionary, grammatical description, and collection of texts/stories. Together these materials are known as the Boasian Trilogy (after Franz Boas, who stated this documentary practice), and in this week’s special supporter-only video issue, I take you on a tour of the Boasian Trilogy for Chitimacha, a once-dormant language I’m helping to revitalize.