Erin Debenport works with indigenous tribes in the Rio Grande Valley to help preserve their languages. But she has to keep her work a secret. Debenport, an assistant professor of linguistic and sociocultural anthropology who joined the UCLA faculty in fall 2016, said the tribes she works with are losing their languages because young people are not learning their native language. Read more...
Photo: Erin Debenport, an assistant professor of linguistic and sociocultural anthropology, works with indigenous tribes in the Rio Grande Valley and helps produce dictionaries, databases and curriculum to preserve their languages. (Courtesy of Erin Debenport)