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Remembering a Friend
It is with much sadness that we report the news that our dear friend and linguistics advisor, Blair Rudes, passed away from a heart attack on March 16th. Any regular visitors to our website or listeners to our lectures should be well-familiar with Dr. Rudes' name, as he has been our key source for both the coastal Algonquian and Tuscarora languages. Dr. Rudes full-time profession was as Associate Professor of English at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He is best known in the Indian community, however, for his extensive work in documenting endangered indigenous languages (such as Tuscarora) as well as reconstructing Native languages that have been long lost to history and assimilation (such as coastal Algonquian and Catawba). His Tuscarora-English/English-Tuscarora Dictionary was published by the University of Toronto Press in 1999. The Tuscarora Nation honored him for his work on the Tuscarora language in 2006. Dr. Rudes also reconstructed the Algonquian language of Virginia for the New Line motion picture The New World, which starred Colin Farrell and Q'orianka Kilcher. (The dialect of Virginia Algonquian he worked on for the film is nearly identical to the Algonquian language spoken here in coastal North Carolina in the pre-colonial and early colonial era) In Winter of 2006, we did an interview with Dr. Rudes for our newsletter The Carolina Pine on how he went about researching and resurrecting a dead language that had not been spoken for centuries using only the scarce written records made by English explorers in the early colonial era. (See link below for article.) In recent years, Dr. Rudes had been hard at work compiling the Catawba lexicon for a three-volume set titled The Catawba Language. We will be ever grateful for the legacy left by our friend, Blair Rudes. Through his life's work in indigenous languages, he created a bridge from the past and brought the words of our distant ancestors to this and future generations. Thanks to Blair Rudes, we can know how our ancestors said hello, how they told their children to eat, to sit still, to come quick, or to simply say, "I love you." We know the names they had for themselves and their mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers To have worked so diligently and passionately to give us this gift, that he saw the languages of our ancestors as important and worthy of his full attention and documentation, is something for which there are no words -- in any language -- to express our gratitude. Thank you, Dr. Rudes. We love you and will miss you. Winkan nupes. (Sleep well.) Click here to read CCIC's interview with Dr. Blair Rudes regarding his work on The New World. In Memory of Blair Rudes... [Leave your comments] Earnest Willis, Craven Co., NC I really hated to hear about the sad news of the passing of Dr. Rudes. While
I did not know him personally reading and seeing how he put whole languages back
together I feel like I at least knew what type of fellow he was. The work he has
done is greatly appreciated by many and his legacy will live on! I first learned
about Dr. Rudes through CCIC , since then I have learned just how important his
work was to so many. I also certainly hope there is a directors cut out there of
THE NEW WORLD that shows more of the language Dr. Rudes put together for many
generations to come. Sara Whitford, Carteret Co., NC Having the opportunity to know Dr. Rudes and his work has been such a blessing to me, personally. I owned his Tuscarora-English/English-Tuscarora Dictionary several years before I had the opportunity to speak with him. I actually sought him out back in 2005 when I heard of his work on The New World. As a descendant of Algonquian language speakers, I was excited at the prospect of having someone help me learn to speak words that no one in my family has been able to speak for centuries. Dr. Rudes and I had many conversations and shared many e-mails always with me asking lots of language questions and him always eagerly answering them. I've also directed a number of folks with specific language questions to Dr. Rudes over the last few years through my work with CCIC. He's been an open book to anyone taking the time to tap into his vast knowledge of indigenous languages. It had been his plan to work on an Algonquian-English/English-Algonquian dictionary and I'm saddened to think it might never come to pass. I will do all that I can to obtain any of his written or recorded work on Algonquian language and make it available on the CCIC website. Without a doubt, Blair Rudes' legacy of language will long outlive any of us! Thank you, Dr. Rudes! Francene Patterson, Sanborn, NY The Tuscarora Nation and our language will carry on with heavy hearts and a mournful spirit. We were given a gift from the Creator: the knowledge and wisdom of Dr. Blair Rudes, and his legacy will live on through his works. The elders he worked with in the 70's are no longer with us, but their words live on because of the linguist, and the friend everyone knew as... Blair. Our language restoration process will continue, because of his efforts to compile the Tuscarora language. His wisdom and aptitude for our language has touched all, from the Kindergarten class to adult student. I will need to stop myself now from wanting to call or e-mail him for that one elusive question about my language. Blair was my mentor, willing to prepare lessons for me through Empire State College, so that I may obtain my degree in linguistics also. There is a sense of disconnection now, a gap, a void, in our language soul. Michael McKay, Virginia I'm sorry to hear of Dr. Rudes passing. I never actually met him but I've heard many good things about his work, especially with the Tuscarora and Algonkian languages. Teresa Morris (Founder of CCIC) - Carteret Co., NC It is rare especially these days and the times in which we live to witness an
individual filled with the kind of vision and scholarly passion for Indian
people that goes way beyond the current standard course of study, or printed
page. Rebecca Hein I, too, feel so sad to hear of his passing. To have such a dedication for
this tedious type of research Pamela Graham DeRenesis - Raleigh, NC I was very sad to hear about the passing of Dr. Rudes. He was always so willing to share his knowledge and his research. I had met him for the first time last year at the NC Indian Unity Conference where readily accepted my invitation to discuss his efforts on preserving Indian languages. I also reached out for his help last year to help with the naming of plants in the native landscaping around the National Museum of the American Indian. He will be missed! If you wish to add your comments or memories of Dr. Rudes to this page, please submit them via the form below. They will be posted shortly after they are received. [Read the Memorial for Dr. Blair A. Rudes]
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©2004-2008 Coastal Carolina
Indian Center. All Rights Reserved.
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