Fawn Douglas, Kwee You Its! (Twister), 3D printed spinner, ink, color pencil, paper, 9” x 9”/ 5’ x 5.5’, 2019.

 

“Kwee You Its!” translates to “whirlwind” in the Southern Paiute language, or “Twister!” As the preservation and practice of Indigenous languages is having a resurgence, we can create new ways to remember key words. Repetition is key as the game is a new spin on terms. Participants can play the game and test each other on their Paiute language skills as the spinner lands on either: qwen nah-bah: left foot; qwen mow-aw: left hand; tu me too- nah bah: right foot, or tu me too mow aw for right hand. Colors are also incorporated into the language learning: orange and yellow: who-vuung-gah; blue: saw-wag-gah-dum; red: un-gah. We may fall while trying to hold each other up during the game play. We will laugh together, at times stumbling over the words. The goal is that we try and keep trying until we are knowing of these words together.