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==Erik Sealander==
{{Misleading|section}}
{{w|Reddit}} user u/eriksealander, referred to '''Erik Sealander''' throughout the rest of the article, is a language teacher,
▲{{w|Reddit}} user u/eriksealander, referred to '''Erik Sealander''' throughout the rest of the article, is a language teacher, often regarded as the father of the first native speakers of Toki Pona. In an interview with {{tok|[[Aronora]]}}, he stated that he started teaching his children Toki Pona as he is a language enthusiast and for the benefits of {{w|multilingualism}} at a young age. His children are also multilingual in both English and Arabic.<ref>{{cite YouTube|id=iZ2zBQbqKB8|title=INTERVIEW {{!}} The First Toki Pona Natives|author={{tok|jan Alonola}}|channel=Aronora|handle=Aronora|date=2020-11-29|access-date=2024-01-02}}</ref>
Sealander has stated that his older daughter, called {{tok|jan Lililan}}, can understand the basics of Toki Pona, answering prompts and producing speech. The first unprompoted phrase from her, according to him, was "{{tp|ni li palisa}}" when pointing to an electric pole.<ref name="sealander2020" /> In 2021, he posted a picture of her {{tp|sitelen pona}} writing practice claiming that she could recognize 43 glyphs with flash cards at only four-years old.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/tokipona/comments/paxi8z/tenpo_ni_la_jan_lili_wan_pi_toki_pona_li_kama/|title={{tok|tenpo ni la, jan lili wan pi toki pona li kama sona e sitelen!}}|website=Reddit|name=u/eriksealander|date=2021-08-24|access-date=2024-01-02}}</ref>
However, these claims has come into scrutiny by others. In 2023, after meeting in person with both Sealander and his family, {{tok|jan Kekan San}} noted that the children did not speak Toki Pona to him and could not answer questions when prompted, only .<ref name="kekan2023" /> He later on went to call this "at best stretching the truth and at worst a hoax".<ref name="olipija2023">{{cite web|url=https://lukapona.blogspot.com/2023/02/native-speakers-pi-toki-ponali-lon-ala.html|title=Native Speakers {{tok|pi toki pona li lon ala lon}}?|website=lukapona.blogpost.com|author={{tok|jan Olipija}}|date=2023-02-12|access-date=2024-01-21}}</ref> In a blog post, {{tok|jan Olijpija}} suggested that the children may have learnt Toki Pona, but failed to maintain it as they grew up. She compared this example to children in Wales learning {{w|Welsh language|Welsh}}, where because of the lack of prestige of the language, speakers tend to have insufficient skills in it.<ref name="olipija2023" />
==References==
<references
<ref name="sealander2020">{{cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/tokipona/comments/f4vg1l/comment/fhxevg3/|title=Has anyone tried teaching their kids Toki Pona?
|website=Reddit|author=u/eriksealander|date=2020-12-17|access-date=2024-01-21}}
<blockquote>
The oldest is 2 so she's only saying simple declaratory statements. "{{tok|Mi wawa. Mi tawa. Mi olin e sina. Ni li laso. Ni li loje}} (which she pronounces lon'ñe which is interesting). I can report that the first ever sentence spoken, unprompted in toki pona by a native speaker is, "{{tok|ni li palisa}}" while pointing to a electric pole. So that's your fun fact of the day:)
</blockquote>
</ref>
<ref name="kekan2023">{{cite Discord|url=https://discord.com/channels/301377942062366741/301377942062366741/1074315891732393984|name={{tok|jan Kekan San}}|username=gregdan3|channel={{tok|toki-pona}}|server={{tp|ma pona pi toki pona}}|access-date=2024-01-21}}
<blockquote>
[...] This is a hoax. I spoke to Erik Sealander and wife and children in person a few months ago. His children only know the word toki that I could tell; they couldn't respond to basic questions like "sina pona ala pona", "sina toki pona anu seme" and only spoke to me in English besides saying toki.
As for Erik's own toki pona skill, I've seen him write tp fine, but in speaking he responded in English to almost all of my statements in Toki Pona.
I believe that he cares about toki pona, and I'm sure he wants to teach toki pona to his kids, but as of when we met they have made almost no progress, not even to the level described in this post.
There are no native Toki Pona speakers.
</blockquote>
</ref>
</references>
==External links==
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