Coded Messages: Political and Religious Language about the Lozhok Holy Spring

In October 2015, a cathedral dedicated to the Russian New Martyrs and Confessors (an order of saints dedicated to victims of the Soviet official policy on atheism) was consecrated in Lozhok, a small town approximately 50 kilometers to the east of Novosibirsk. The consecration was the culmination of 9 years of construction on the cathedral, which is located on the site of a holy spring on a former GULAG. The spring, credited with healing miracles, is considered to be sacred precisely because of its connection to camp victims. The consecration was presided over by two metropolitans (one local, one from Belarus), three bishops from the Novosibirsk and Iskitim dioceses, and Nikita Buick, director of Russian American Community Services of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia as well as prominent local politicians from the United Russia and Communist parties. This lecture will examine the intersection of the political and religious events, and the language used by the participants, to explore the symbolic roles of the officiants and the socio-cultural roles that this spring (and the cathedral on this site) play in the diocese and among the laity in this region. 

Date:
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Location:
127 Gatton College of Business & Economics

Language Religion Spirituality: Let's Talk About It! Series

Reweaving the warp and the weft: Two Spirit activism at the intersections of language sexuality and religion

Join us for a lecture on the contemporary two-spirit movement in the United States approached through the lens of indigenous language documentaon and in indigenous religious studies. Specifically, Dr. Davis examines the impact of the boarding school era on indigenous religion, language, and sexuality.

Date:
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Location:
Gatton Student Center, Worsham Cinema

NACLO 2019 Open Round

The North American Computational Linguistics Olympiad is a contest in which high-school students solve linguistic puzzles. In solving these puzzles, students learn about the diversity and consistency of language, while exercising logic skills. No prior knowledge of linguistics or second languages is necessary. Professionals in linguistics, computational linguistics and language technologies use dozens of languages to create engaging problems that represent cutting edge issues in their fields. The competition has attracted top students to study and work in those same fields. It is truly an opportunity for young people to experience a taste of natural-language processing in the 21st century.

Date:
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Location:
Patterson Office Tower Rm. 1815A

Linguistic Atlas Project 90th Birthday

Schedule of Events:

  • All-day: Special Collections Research Center Exhibit (Meet infront of POT at 10:30 for group walk-through)
  • 1-3: LAP Office Open-house (Miller Hall 004)
  • 3-4:30: Atlas Working Group Meeting (Closed session)
  • 3-4:30: Linguistics Student Info Session
  • 6-8: Lecture by Michael Adams (330AB Gatton Student Center)

RSVP here!

Date:
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Location:
330AB Gatton Student Center

UK Linguistics Third Annual MLK Colloquium: Human rights, indigenous rights, and the current crisis at the border

In honor of the memory of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. and the United Nations International Year of Indigenous Languages, this talk highlights the place of attitudes towards indigenous languages in the formation and reproduction of the human rights violations seen in recent events involving Central American immigrants seeking refuge in the United States. In 2018, two children died in the Border Patrol custody and a Border Patrol agent shot a young woman in the head. All three were native speakers of indigenous (Mayan) languages from Guatemala. The talk will first outline the history and current state of the issues behind the current immigration by Guatemalan Maya. The central role of language in the creation and current perpetuation of human rights violations will focus on two related factors. The first issue is that of language access. The denial of language access is sustained through negative attitudes towards indigenous languages and the persistent myth of the “desperate need” for indigenous interpreters. The second major issue is the failure to recognize or legitimize indigenous traditions of language use needed in the interpreting context. These include the conventions for holding a conversation, expectations for who should speak in what context, and forms of politeness. Consideration of these issues suggests that equality for indigenous peoples will never be achieved unless we first come to recognize and respect the languages they speak.
 
Warning:  to accurately present reality this talk contains graphic content.
Date:
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Location:
UKAA Auditorium, WTY Library
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