Wajiphanyin: A Kanza Language Game (2008)

Exciting and educational boardgame for learning about the Kanza language and culture. The traditional language of the Kanza people is Kadnzele, or simply Kanza. ALthugh it is a separate language, it is closely related to the languages of the Osage, Ponca, Omaha and Quapaw tribes. Kanza is a Siouan language, and so it also has similarities in grammar and vocabulary with loway, Otoe-Missouria, the languages of the Sioux peoples, as well as more distant ties to Crow, Mandan, Hidatsa, Biloxi and others.

Wajiphanyin is played as a roll and move game. Points are awarded for translations from English to Kanza, Identifying animals, other objects and words with the Kanza words, and translating Kanza to English. An emphasis is placed on worlds from the natural environment. Score sheets are used to keep track of the points and task. The player with the highest score at the end of the game is the winner. The duration of the game (usually time) should be decided prior to playing.

During a long and very devastating period in the history of the tribe, usage of the language began to taper off dramatically. This trend continued into the twentieth century until only a handful of the fullbloods in the 1970's could speak fluently. Today all of these elders are gone. The Kanza people today speak English as a first language, but many can still understand and use the Kanza words and phrases.

The Kaw Nation is interested in both preserving the language and more importantly reviving it. The Kanza Language Prodject is a special department of the tribal operation devoted to this task. This game is an important part of the education and preservation of this language and its importance in the culture.

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