Southampton's Kodiak Tarrant makes NYS history as first student to earn Seal of Biliteracy for mastering Shinnecock language

Kodiak Tarrant’s love for the Shinnecock Algonquian language began with a deck of cards and his grandmother.

As a child, the now 18-year-old would meet his grandmother, Shinnecock linguist Tina Tarrant, for a 4:30 p.m. class, where the pair would use card games like UNO and Go Fish to learn basic concepts of the Native language.

"I guess that’s what started that passion and also just keeping that part of our culture alive," Tarrant, of Southampton, said.

Tarrant's yearslong passion and dedication in learning the language was recognized last month when he made history by becoming the first student in New York to earn a Seal of Biliteracy in the Shinnecock Algonquian language. The former Southampton student advocated for a pathway to be created for the native language, school officials said. 

The recognition is awarded to high school graduates who have earned a Regents diploma and can demonstrate a high level of proficiency in English and one or more other world languages through coursework, presentations and assessments.

"I felt that I was very capable, and I knew that it was something I could achieve," Tarrant said. "I wanted other people not to see that as such a foreign thing that’s out of reach."

In Southampton High School there are currently two levels of Shinnecock Algonquian language courses, with a third more advanced level being introduced in the fall, school officials said. 

In creating the courses, officials sought assistance from other districts that offered Indigenous classes and developed the curriculum alongside the Shinnecock Nation, according to Kristen Minter, Southampton’s World Language Department chair.

Minter said the district contacted the state education department's office of bilingual education and world languages to seek approval for the new pathway. After a Zoom call, where Tarrant stated his case for an Algonquian language pathway, state officials approved his request.

Currently, the courses at the high school are being co-taught by Dave Riley and John Boyd of the Shinnecock Nation.

"We want to make sure we’re doing it right and we want to make sure that we represent our people," Boyd said.

Since they don’t have as many reference points as other languages, Boyd said, they must be extra careful with teachings. He noted that one of the earliest Bibles used in the United States was translated into the native language. It serves as a reference for the educators.

"English compared to any other language has similarities with some differences," Boyd explained. "It’s a lot of personal investment that our students are taking upon themselves to really understand the nature of the language and the usage that they have to apply."

To achieve recognition, Kodiak presented his marine science research project, where he researched bioluminescence in a species of tropical shark, in English. He was also tasked with presenting in Algonquian.

For that assignment, he opted for a game of UNO with the school officials — resembling the afternoons he used to spend with his grandmother. He also completed an eight-minute oral proficiency interview with Boyd and his wife, Cholena Smith-Boyd, who are former Southampton students.

Minter praised Tarrant for advocating for himself and his community.

"He’s a trailblazer," Minter said. "I hope we can say in five years, more and more kids are speaking [the language]."