Anadarko woman aims to pass on Kiowa language

ANADARKO, Okla. (AP) _ Despite her age, Kiowa-Apache elder Alecia Gonzales is still aggressively cultivating an interest in the Kiowa language. <br/><br/>The 78-year-old teaches three Kiowa language classes

Sunday, February 6th 2005, 2:43 pm

By: News On 6

ANADARKO, Okla. (AP) _ Despite her age, Kiowa-Apache elder Alecia Gonzales is still aggressively cultivating an interest in the Kiowa language.

The 78-year-old teaches three Kiowa language classes daily at Anadarko High School. She has done so for the past 14 years.

And on Mondays and Wednesdays, she leaves Anadarko for Chickasha where she teaches advanced language courses at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.

She says the need to preserve the language is what drives her to continue teaching it to students.

Gonzales recently self-published a children's book titled ``The Little Red Buffalo Song,'' which is written in both Kiowa and English.