UH Documentation Project

TIWA

My name is Linda Cholas, I am from Isleta Pueblo, New Mexico and a teacher of English.  My project is documenting a dictionary of Isleta Tiwa words and writing a short children’s story in the Tiwa language.

Others on my home reservation have begun documenting and teaching the language; this project is an attempt to assist in that highly commendable effort.

Tiwa is considered a part of the Tanoan linguistic family found along the Rio Grande valley in New Mexico and in parts of Arizona.

Tiwa is spoken by the T’ai of New Mexico.  These are people from the Pueblo community of Isleta New Mexico. It is not definitely known how many people speak the language, however, it is considered dangerously few.

According to a 1998 census there are approximately 3,800 people living in Isleta.  Students must attend secondary school off the reservation and are therefore highly influenced by the English language.  In an effort to encourage youth and children to use their indigenous language, I will in the future include a short children’s story in this site.

Dictionary: Preliminary Tiwa-English dictionary.

Sound files: If you want to listen to some words in Tiwa, please click on the following words!

For more information about Tiwa, please contact Linda.                            

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