Willard Gould: Returning To Our Native Tongue

Willard Gould, member of the Arapahoe Business Council and the Northern Arapahoe Language Commission. Willard's work has been in substance abuse counseling, domestic violence and family services. 

“This journey has been wonderful, to see that people can change especially my people who have had problems identifying themselves with outside world and the obstacles that lead them to a dysfunctional way of life.”  “It can be rewarding and on the other side of the spectrum it can be heartbreaking.” 

The reteaching of the Arapahoe language to his tribe has become his passion. He wants to instill in the young people the pride of knowing their language and culture. In 2015, the Arapahoe Language Commission discovered there were only 150 native speakers of their language left on the reservation. His hope is to be instrumental in the preservation and teaching of the Arapahoe language.

This podcast is brought to you by Wyoming Humanities, www.thinkwy.org.

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Emy DiGrappa is the producer and host of ThinkWY Radio. She has over 20 years’ experience in marketing and public relations and was the creator and host of The Mountain Muse radio show, which has grown into ThinkWY Radio, with support from the Wyoming Humanities Council. She lives and works in Jackson. DiGrappa collaborates with many people to provide interesting and colorful interviews for her listening audience.
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