The Kalapuya language was once thought to be a dead language, but we believe it was only sleeping, waiting to be awoken again. Kalapuya elder Esther Stutzman was contacted by Paul McCartney sr., a local linguist around 2015 and asked if she wanted her language back. McCartney had been studying and collecting the language for years, he took a special interest in it even though he was not indigenous, he said it was the most beautiful language he had ever heard.

McCartney and the family soon began to have regular language meetings.  and put together very short and simple lesson plans to begin to learn and understand the language. There are no living fluent speakers of the language and only one audio file in existence. Many resources for the language are interviews of the people done by ethnographers from various places.  Because of these circumstances, learning the language is a very slow and grueling process at times. 

In 2021 McCartney compiled a dictionary of the Kalapuya language, hoping to one day be able to use it. Unfortunately McCartney fell I’ll shortly after completing the dictionary and passed away in July of 2021.

An internet fundraiser put on by Aiyanna Brown, raised almost $10,000 in two weeks. Although Paul was not able to see, a four volume dictionary (2 volumes for Kalapuya-English and 2 for English to Kalapuya translation) was completed. Now almost 200 four volume sets have been printed and donated throughout Oregon. Many universities and language programs were gifted sets to have at their disposal.

McCartney was never paid for his work, he would often say “ I don’t worry about the money, or even the recognition for this dictionary. I just want the Kalapuya language to live on for generations to come. Getting to learn and take part in the preservation of Kalapuya culture identity is the best payment anyone could ask for.”