Flutes of Fire: Culture Keeping & Language

Join Bart’s Books on Saturday, November 19th at 5:00 as we welcome Leanne Hinton!

Originally published in 1994, Flutes of Fire: An Introduction to Native California Languages, Revised and Updated is an approachable, entertaining, and informative classic on Native culture-keeping, an introduction to Native California languages that appears now in a newly expanded edition spotlighting 25 years of intervening linguistic activism keeping Indigenous voice, viewpoint, and tradition alive.

Dedicated to the elders of Native California “past, present, and future,” Hinton’s accessible entry point into our linguistic inheritance, published under Heyday’s Roundhouse program, meditates on the nuance of language, the human lessons language holds, and the significance of storytelling in cultural memory. Diving into the writing systems, Bird Songs, and current efforts to pass the torch to new speakers, Hinton reveals and revels in the vital heartbeat of California’s first languages, reminding us that even with the multiplicity of our idioms and origins, we are all, in fact, part of one human family.

“In helping to preserve and restore the languages of California, we are creating something within the larger American community as well,” writes linguist and author Leanne Hinton, “We are helping to change our nation’s viewpoint toward an acceptance of cultural and linguistic pluralism—toward a sense of unity and diversity.”

Leanne Hinton is professor emerita at the University of California, Berkeley, and a founding member of the board of the Advocates for Indigenous California Language Survival (AICLS). She has worked with AICLS to develop and implement the Master-Apprentice Language Learning Program and the Breath of Life Language Workshops, both of which have expanded throughout the US and internationally. In 2005 she received the Cultural Freedom Award from the Lannan Foundation for her work on the revitalization of endangered languages.

Leanne will be joined by fellow AICLS board member Matthew Vestuto who serves as the language program coordinator for the Barbareño/Ventureño Band of Mission Indians, the director of the Tšumaš Transcription Project, a local Chumash tribal leader, and the president of the Lulapin Chumash Foundation. There to honor Leanne will be Vestuto’s ever-growing mitsqanaqan̓ (Ventureño Chumash) speaking community.

Bart’s Books is the world’s largest outdoor bookstore, serving the Ojai community since 1964. We believe that there is a book for everyone, and that reading is the catalyst for a connection amongst passionate people. Bart’s hosts a collection of over 130,000 used and new books, ranging from rare out-of-print gems to well loved paperbacks. Our curated event series brings authors to our courtyard for engaging discussions and readings. Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on our courtyard event offerings here!