[EDLING:2139] Esther Martinez Act Passes the Senate #06-070

[Francis M Hult]

Via lgpolicy...


> From: Teresa McCarty <Teresa.McCarty at asu.edu>
> 
> Esther Martinez Act Passes the Senate  #06-070
> 
> Please see below.  This is extremely welcome (and overdue!) news about the
> latest amendments to the Native American Languages Act.  Some version of
> these amendments has been in the works for more than 6 years, and many, many
> educators, linguists, community members, and other advocates have gone back
> and forth to DC to provide Congressional testimony over the years.  The
> amendment adds programs and the promise of additional funding for language
> survival schools, language nests, and additional language restoration
> initiatives.  The National Indian Education Association was a major force in
> all of this, along with the tireless efforts of colleagues across the
> country.  You can see from the list of ³thank you¹s² just how many folks it
> took to pull this off ‹ and there were many more behind the scenes.
> 
> This is news to celebrate!
> 
> TMcC
> 
> -- 
> Teresa L. McCarty, Ph.D.
> Alice Wiley Snell Professor of Education Policy Studies
> Arizona State University
> Mary Lou Fulton College of Education
> Division of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
> Farmer Building 120 - PO Box 872411
> Tempe, AZ 85287-2411
> PH: 480.965.6357  FAX: 480.965-1880
> Teresa.McCarty at asu.edu
> 
>  <http://www.niea.org>
> 
> 
> National Indian Education Association
> 110 Maryland Avenue, N.E.
> Suite 104
> Washington, D.C. 20002
> P: (202) 544-7290 / F: (202) 544-7293
> 
> December 7, 2006
> Broadcast #06-070
> 
> 
> 
> H.R. 4766 is on the way to the President for signature!!!!
> 
> Last night (December 6th) at approximately 8:45pm, the Senate passed H.R.
> 4766, the Esther Martinez Native American Languages Act of 2006, by
> unanimous consent! The bill, introduced by Representative Heather Wilson
> (R-NM) and co-sponsored by Representatives Rick Renzi (R-AZ), Tom Udall
> (D-NM), Steve Pearce (R-NM), Mark Udall (D-CO), Charles Taylor (R-NC) and
> Madeleine Bordallo (D-GU), passed in the House of Representatives on
> September 27th, 2006 on the suspension calendar with broad bi-partisan
> support.
> 
> H.R. 4766 provides assistance to on-going Native American language
> restoration efforts through a currently authorized Native language grant
> program at the Administration for Native Americans at the Department of
> Health and Human Services. Three additional grant uses, language survival
> schools, language nests, and language restoration programs, will be eligible
> for grant funding in the current program under this bill.
> 
> NIEA would not have been able to accomplish this tremendous task without the
> help of many people, organizations, and tribes. NIEA would like to thank the
> membership for their overwhelming response to our many requests for support.
> The outpouring of letters, calls, faxes, and emails to members of Congress
> made an incredible impact and demonstrated Indian Country¹s huge support for
> the revitalization of Native languages.
> 
> NIEA would also like to thank Native Code Talkers, Clarence Wolf Guts
> (Lakota), Samuel Tso (Navajo), Keith Little (Navajo), Merrill Sandoval
> (Navajo), and Peter MacDonald (Navajo), for their effective advocacy in
> sharing their stories and experiences with the NIEA family and members of
> Congress.
> 
> NIEA thanks the immediate past NIEA presidents, Ryan Wilson and Dr. David
> Beaulieu, for tirelessly championing this issue throughout Indian Country
> and in Washington, D.C.
> 
> NIEA also is deeply appreciative of the hard work and tireless efforts of
> our friends in Washington, D.C., including Representatives Heather Wilson
> (R-NM), Rick Renzi (R-AZ), Dale Kildee (D-MI), Buck McKeon (R-CA), George
> Miller (D-CA), Tom Udall (D-NM), Earl Pomeroy (D-ND), Charles Taylor (R-NC),
> Thomas Petri (R-WI), Stephanie Herseth (D-SD), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Raul
> Grijalva (D-AZ), Senators Byron Dorgan (D-ND), John McCain (R-AZ), Pete
> Domenici (R-NM), Tim Johnson (D-SD), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Tom Coburn
> (R-OK), Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Daniel Akaka (D-HI), Daniel Inouye (D-HI), and
> especially staffers Kimberly Teehee, Whitney Rhoades, Robert Cushing, Sarah
> Jones, Lauren Gibbs, Alice Johnson Cain, Sarah Garland, John Tahsuda,
> Allison Binney, David Mullon, Rhonda Harjo, Brandon Ashley, Charles
> Galbraith, Tracy Hartzler-Toon, Karen McCarthy, Nathan Bergerbest, Rick
> Dearborn, Michael Schwartz, and Brian Treat.
> 
> NIEA also relied on a number of friends representing tribes and
> organizations to lend support, including Jacqueline Johnson, Joe Garcia,
> Amadeo Shije, Gil Vigil, Greg Smith, Daniel Little, Keith Harper, Armand
> DeKeyser, Robert McGhee, Gordon Kenny, Scott Dacey, Don Pongrace, Kathy
> Brodie, Danna Jackson, Michael Rossetti, and Mark Van Norman.
> 
> Lastly, NIEA expresses its deepest gratitude to Debbie Ho and the team of
> Ietan Consulting, LLC for their tremendous hard work and resolute dedication
> to making sure the Esther Martinez Native American Languages Act becomes
> law.
> 
> Thank you EVERYONE for your support and commitment on this bill and special
> thanks to all of the elders, parents, teachers, and students who have shared
> your stories, challenges, successes and are ensuring that our Native
> languages remain vital and spoken throughout our communities.
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
> NIEA Board of Directors and Staff