Introduction

The Uto-Aztecan linguistic stock is one of the largest language families in the Americas in terms of its geographical extension and the number of languages it encompasses (fig. 1). The narratives gathered here make up a representative sample, including languages from both the United States and Mexico, selected in an effort to represent as many of the eight established subgroupings as possible (fig. 2) and to include narratives that reflect the work of both outsider linguists and community members. This volume presents texts from the languages that are the most threatened (Kawaiisu, Northern Paiute, and Tübatulabal) and others that currently lack first-language speakers (Cupeño and Serrano), as well as from those that are more viable (e.g., Nahuatl).