Through story and song, Somali Minnesotan looks to preserve the language

Minnesota Now

Marian Hassan has spent her career educating Minnesotans about Somali language and collecting oral histories from elder Somalis to prevent language loss in the state. Though Somali is the third most common language spoken in Minnesota behind English and Spanish, the language was not written down until the mid-1970s. Before that, Somalis had a rich oral tradition.

Hassan just got a Minnesota Legacy Cultural Heritage Grant to continue her mission to preserve Somali oral tradition. She joined Minnesota Now to talk about her project.