New Nyumburu Program to Introduce Indigenous Languages to Campus

      The university's Nyumburu Cultural Center and the Black Faculty and Staff Association are creating theNyumburu Indigenous African Language Program, which will expose students to a number of different languages and cultures of Africa.     

      Solomon Commisiong, president of the Black Faculty and Staff Association and founder of the program, said it is designed to expose students to various indigenous African languages starting with Kiswahili, while simultaneously educating them on the cultures surrounding the specific languages.

      "This program helps to develop a cultural understanding of various cultures in Sub-Sahara Africa,"Commisiong said.  "Language is the cornerstone of anyone's culture.  This program is a development program of social uplifting and student involvement that showcases culture."

      Students will be able to participate in a variety of activities based on learning these indigenous tongues, which aim to teach individuals how to become fluent in the languages, Commisiong said.  

      "We will encourage students involved to study these languages, like in a class, and then speak to each other in Kiswahili when they see each other," he said.  "Students of African descent will be able to learn about their culture and other interested students get to learn something new."

      Senior accounting and international business double major Ali Reiff studied abroad in Africa in spring 2011 and said many students on Maryland's campus have no idea some of these languages exist. Reiff also said she thinks the program will be very beneficial to a number of students. 

      Commisiong said when Africans were captured from their Sub-Sahara African countries, the English language was imposed upon them, which forced them to give up their individual language and cultural identity.

      "I studied about in Cape Town, South Africa, but traveled to a number of other countries including Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Tanzania and Zanzibar," Reiff said.  "In Cape Town, for example, even though everyone spoke English, nearly every south African I met either spoke Xhosa, Afrikaans or Zulu… The languages alone have so much history and culture."

      Students whose ancestors come from African countries or those who are just interested in visiting Africa would definitely benefit from learning about these indigenous African languages and cultures beforehand, she said. 

           "This program will allow students to practice a language that has launched a great deal of culture,"Commisiong said.  "This allows many students to reclaim a part of their culture and that's an amazing thing."