Research Guides: Native American Languages: Towa/Jemez

Overview of Towa/Jemez

The Towa Language (also known as Jemez) is the primary indigenous language of Jemez Pueblo. The Jemez language is a subgroup of the Tanoan language family. According to the Endangered Languages Project, there are roughly 3,000 speakers of the language and is classified as "threatened."

Towa/Jemez Language Revitalization

Walatowa Head Start Language Immersion Program - Jemez Pueblo
The Walatowa Head Start Language Immersion Program is the primary language revitalization program of the Pueblo of Jemez. The program, open to tribal members aged 3 years to 5 years of age, is designed to provide a solid base in the Towa language for children.

Towa/Jemez Language Restoration

A Vocabulary of 780 Words of the Jemez language, with an English Equivalent - Smithsonian Institution
A handwritten manuscript dictionary of the Jemez Pueblo recorded by anthropologist Albert B. Reagan in 1907. This manuscript includes a brief overview of Jemez grammar and the translations of 780 words. The document is an archival document hosted in the National Anthropological Archives of the Smithsonian Institution.
Jemez Language - Wikipedia
An overview of the Jemez language as described by Wikipedia. It includes information on the language's phonology, morphology (verbs, nouns, adjectives, and pronouns), determiners, and a bit about language revitalization.
Jemez Tones and Stress - Alan Bell
In Volume 12 of Colorado Research in Linguistics, author Alan Bell goes in-depth into the tones of stress of the Jemez language. While this is more a linguistics work, it could have some value for people who are interested in learning the language.
Wordlist Jemez - Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
An overview of 45 words from the Towa/Jemez language by the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology's ASJP database. The database includes words for pronouns, body parts, animals, and geographic/astrological terms.