ˈæftɚ lˈiːvɪŋ kˌælɪfˈoːɹniə, hiː ænd lˈævɪnɚ ɹᵻtˈɜːnd tʊ ˌoʊklɐhˈoʊmə ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti, wˌɛɹ hiː tˈɔːt ðɪ ˈɑːɾoʊmɪzˈʊɹɹiə lˈæŋɡwɪdʒ ɪn tɹˈaɪbəl klˈæsᵻz ænd lˈeɪɾɚ sˈɜːvd æz ɐ kənsˈʌltənt fɚðə jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ʌv mɪzˈʊɹɹi nˈeɪɾɪv lˈæŋɡwɪdʒ pɹˈɑːdʒɛkt, ɪn ˈɔːɹdɚ tə ɹᵻkˈoːɹd ˈɑːɾoʊmɪzˈʊɹɹiə fɔːɹ pɑːstˈɛɹᵻɾi.
After leaving California, he and Lavina returned to Oklahoma in 1970, where he taught the Otoe-Missouria language in tribal classes and later served as a consultant for the University of Missouri native language project, in order to record Otoe-Missouria for posterity.