Reviving a Language Once Thought Extinct

For nearly a century, nobody spoke the Massachusett language. Today, it has been brought back from silence by tribal members using historical documents written in the 17th century.

This language was once the foundation for the first Bible ever printed in the Americas. Because early missionaries translated religious texts into Massachusett, a massive written record survived even as native speakers vanished. Today, Wampanoag communities are using those colonial-era documents to teach the language to a new generation. It is a powerful example of how historical archives can help restore a living culture.