7 Things About Margaret Field

Margaret Field is a professor of American Indian Studies at San Diego State University.

Her research is focused on American Indian oral tradition, cultural identity and language revitalization.

1. What inspired you to do this kind of work?

I am a linguist who studies American Indian languages and their use. Many of them, including Kumeyaay, are now seriously endangered and have only a few speakers left. I am inspired by the fact that the clock is ticking, to document as much as possible of the Kumeyaay language while it is still being actively spoken.

2. How long have you worked at SDSU? 

I have been at SDSU since 1999.

3. What is the best piece of advice you ever received?

Regarding language documentation, it was probably “don’t rely on batteries for your tape recorder.” You may not get a second chance to go back and do it again.
 
4. What is your favorite thing about your job? 

My favorite thing is when my students get excited about the work that I do.

5. What about your field or position do you think would surprise people the most?

Many people are surprised by the fact that there are so few speakers left of many indigenous languages. For example, the Ko’alh language spoken in Sta Catarina, about 150 miles south of SDSU, has only 8 speakers left.

6. What is the most interesting or surprising thing about you?

I travel to Mexico regularly to work with speakers of Kumeyaay and Ko’alh. There are many more speakers there than on this side of the border, for several reasons, including the fact that they didn't have radio or television bringing the dominant culture’s language into their homes until relatively recently. They didn’t have government boarding schools forcing them to speak Spanish, either.  Many older indigenous people in Mexico went to school for only a few years, if at all, but this was a good thing for indigenous languages.

7. If you could only rescue one thing from your burning office, what would it be?

My recordings.