Meet Citlali Arvizu

She says her passion for the language was passed down by her mother, Virginia Carmelo. Citlali remembers her mother taking her to her first language class as a teenager, something they still do together. That passion was passed down to Citlali’s two teenage daughters who are now learning the language.  

“My mom has been a big influence on me, my whole family, and even our community,” Citlali said. 

While serving as a councilwoman for one of the Tongva Nation leadership groups, Virginia ensured the language was included in the Tribal constitution and other government documents. Virginia also began attending regional California-based Breath of Life workshops at the University of California, Berkeley, encouraging her family and Tongva community to get more involved with the language. Citlali feels these early workshops in California were instrumental in creating a Tongva language program. 

Participants in this language program work to research, use, and share the Tongva language throughout the Tongva community, by teaching and participating in language classes and attending workshops like Breath of Life (Berkeley) and National Breath of Life. 

Pam Munro, Ph.D., is the linguist for the Tongva language committee. Pam, a UCLA emeritus professor of linguistics, has been working with the Tongva community since 2004. When the Tongva community was invited to participate in the National Breath of Life Apprenticeship Program, Pam continued to provide support. 

About 10 years ago, Citlali began attending workshops with her mother.

“My daughters were little so I brought them with me,” Citlali laughs as she says, “I wasn’t sure it was the best idea, but Pam really encouraged me to go and supported me.” 

Together, Citlali, Virginia, and Pam comprise the National Breath of Life Tongva Apprenticeship Team. Virginia serves as a community mentor, Citlali as the apprentice, and Pam as a linguist for the community. 

The team’s goal is to provide the Tongva community with language they can use together, like songs, prayers, and place names, in a central accessible location. By participating in the Apprenticeship Program, the team will have more time and resources to build their Indigenous Language Digital Archive (ILDA) database. Creating an ILDA database will eventually allow the team to share their work with community members while keeping it protected behind a secure user login.

“I think creating something online is very intriguing to my daughters’ generation,” Citlali said. “Even if my generation or above me isn’t as interested in that, I know they will be.” 

Citlali is hopeful that utilizing the ILDA software will provide a solid foundation of Tongva language users for future generations to build upon. She aspires for the Tongva community to once again have speakers, maybe in the next few generations, and she hopes her work with the National Breath of Life Apprenticeship Program will contribute to that effort. 

“I’m just doing a small part of maintaining this language, but I think every part matters,” she said.

For Citlali, her part of this effort is often transcription. Each week, she combs through archival documents containing information about the Tongva language and culture, transferring them to a digital format and uploading them to the ILDA platform. While it may not sound glamorous, transcription is a beginning step in the long journey of revitalizing a sleeping language. 

Learning the language as a family has been impactful for Citlali and her children. Their intergenerational bonds have been strengthened through this effort and have shaped the identities of at least two generations of Tongva learners. 

“I think learning intergenerationally makes a difference because it allows us to be active with the language,” Citlali said. 

When the family returns from a language class, Virginia often applies the lessons they had just learned, helping the family use and remember them. 

Not only does learning the language bring her family together, but it brings the community closer together as well. 

“We don’t always have the chance to get together because we’re all spread out, but regardless of where our family groups are, I think we agree that the language is neutral and very dear to all of us, so we come together to respect that,” Citlali said. 

Participants of the Tongva language program nearly doubled in size during the COVID-19 pandemic due to moving the language classes to an online format. While Citlali would still like to have the community gather in person on occasion, she’s happy to see the language program become accessible to more community members.

 “I think we were all a little skeptical of going online at first, but it really has made a difference,” Citlali said. “I get to meet all these people I would have otherwise never met.” 

While having the support of family and community is helpful, it’s still difficult to connect with other people interested in reconstructing and revitalizing language. Joining the National Breath of Life Apprenticeship Program has helped her connect with a community of people passionate about the same work. 

“It’s a lot of work to put the language out there and at times it can feel like a lost cause,” she said. “But when I look at communities that have speakers and have integrated their language into their community, I realize it’s possible.”