Gus Palmer
Assistant Professor, Anthropology and Director, Native American Language Program

When Gus Palmer speaks it's like listening to a story. You may just feel that inkling to curl your knees to your chest, cock your head to one side and soak in every word. Dr. Palmer loves words. He loves language and he especially loves stories. He even wrote a book about it; Telling Stories the Kiowa Way .

A member of the Kiowa tribe, Palmer grew up in southwestern Oklahoma near the Wichita Mountain range. He learned Kiowa as a small child and his love for the music of his native language led him to work with the tribe during the 1980's. In 1991, OU introduced its Native American language program where students not only could learn the basic vocabulary, but also the grammar and structure of indigenous languages. Currently Creek, Choctaw, Cherokee and Kiowa are offered each spring and fall semester. Palmer says he likes the relative newness of the Kiowa language.

"It's a fresh way of looking at language," Palmer says. "It's non-Western so it doesn't look or sound anything like any other language. There are universal features in all languages. You have nouns, you have verbs, those things but the way we present it and talk about is different. That's what makes it so good. That's what I love."

Professors in the department are continually trying to extend their knowledge of each language's vocabulary. Palmer recently acquired some recordings dating back to the 1950's and since the instructor generates much of the class material, he says he is always working to expand his knowledge base.

"We're very proud that we're growing," Palmer says.

Not one to call it a hobby, Palmer says another passion of his is poetry. He says he likes to write about a medley of things.

"You get a sound or even a feeling," Palmer says. "I think poetry springs from something inside."