Roscinda Nolasquez
Last speaker of the Capeno language
About Roscinda Nolasquez
Lived 1892 – 1987 (aged 94–95).
Roscinda Nolásquez (1892 – February 4, 1987) was a Cupeño, and the last speaker of the Cupeño language of Southern California. She grew up speaking Cupeño and Spanish. It was not until she was forcefully sent to Sherman Indian School, previously Perris Indian School, in her early teens that she learned English.
Nolásquez made a serious effort late in her life to help document and preserve the Cupeño language, working among others with linguists Jane Hill and Roderick Jacobs.
Works
Roscinda Nolasquez and Anne Galloway (1975): I'i Muluwet: First Book of Words in the Cupeño Indian Language of Southern California. Pala, Calif: Alderbooks.
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Important facts
People in Roscinda Nolasquez's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Roscinda Nolasquez's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Roscinda Nolasquez?
Last speaker of the Capeno language
When was Roscinda Nolasquez born?
Roscinda Nolasquez was born in 1892.
When did Roscinda Nolasquez die?
Roscinda Nolasquez died on 4 February 1987.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Roscinda Nolasquez
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Roscinda Nolasquez. https://biography.guide/roscinda-nolasquez/
MLA: "Roscinda Nolasquez." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/roscinda-nolasquez/.
Chicago: "Roscinda Nolasquez." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/roscinda-nolasquez/.
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