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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Fyi item.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Thanks<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Carolyn<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'>United Tribes News</span></font></b><br>
www.uttc.edu<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</span></b><br>
27 July 2006<br>
<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Action sought on Native language bills</span></b><br>
<br>
BISMARCK (UTN) – Members of Congress should take action on pending
legislation that addresses the loss of Native languages across the country. <br>
<br>
That’s the hope of Ryan Wilson (Oglala Lakota), president of the National
Indian Education Association (NIEA), Tex G. Hall, chairman of the
Mandan-Hidatsa-Arikara Nation, and David M. Gipp, president of <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">United</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Tribes</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Technical</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">College</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>.
<br>
<br>
The three leaders believe that tribal languages are in jeopardy and will not
survive without a concerted effort, which includes help from the Congress. <br>
<br>
“Not only are these dying languages sacred to Native people,
they’re part of <st1:country-region w:st="on">America</st1:country-region>’s
heritage,” said <st1:City w:st="on">Wilson</st1:City> on July 27 at <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">United</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Tribes</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Technical</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">College</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>.
<br>
<br>
As use of tribal languages declines, NIEA’s Language Revitalization
Initiative is the organization’s number one education priority. <br>
<br>
An estimated 500 distinct Native languages were spoken in <st1:place w:st="on">North
America</st1:place> prior to European contact. Fewer than 100 have survived;
today only 20 different languages are spoken by Native children. <br>
<br>
“If we don’t act now, these languages will go away,” said
Hall, who’s Three Affiliate tribal education system in <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">North Dakota</st1:place></st1:State> requires native language
training in the early grades. “Our best hope of reviving them is by
getting Congress to pass amendments to the Native American Languages
Act.” <br>
<br>
Two bills contain elements that update the act and invigorate the preservation
of indigenous languages. Both call for creation of a competitive grant program
in the Department of Education to support Native American language immersion
programs in Native communities. The grants would create pilot programs for
“language nests” and “language survival schools.” <br>
<br>
“The goal is to provide a strong early foundation in the
languages,” said <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Wilson</st1:place></st1:City>.
“We know from the few immersion programs in existence now that youngsters
acquire the language rapidly and retain it later on.” <br>
<br>
A 2004 Executive Order signed by President Bush promised assistance for
American Indian students in meeting the academic standards of the No Child Left
Behind Act “in a manner consistent with tribal traditions, languages and
cultures.” According to the NIEA, their language initiative is an important
step toward refining the act so it works for Native students in a manner that
supports Native culture. <br>
<br>
“Saving the language and saving Indian people is what’s at the
heart of this,” said Gipp. “The research is beginning to show that
effectively taught language programs enhance the overall academic strength of
students. And that plays directly into the goals of No Child Left
Behind.” <br>
<br>
Hall called on <st1:place w:st="on">North Dakota</st1:place> U. S. Senator
Byron Dorgan to “champion the cause” for passage of a bill. <br>
<br>
A member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, Dorgan co-sponsored Senate
Bill 2674, Native American Languages Act Amendments. The other bill, H.R.4766,
Native American Languages Preservation Act of 2006, was introduced by
Representative Heather Wilson of <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New
Mexico</st1:place></st1:State>. <br>
<br>
Originally passed in 1990, the Native American Languages Act reversed
long-standing government policies of eliminating Native languages. The act
sought to protect and promote the use and development of Native languages. <br>
<br>
Electing to learn a tribal language is just as valuable for American Indian
students as learning a foreign language is for mainstream students, said <st1:City
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Wilson</st1:place></st1:City>. <br>
<br>
For more information please contact Ryan Wilson at (206) 265-3473.<font size=2
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>______________________________________<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:PersonName w:st="on"><strong><b><font size=3
color=maroon face="Arial Narrow"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:
"Arial Narrow";color:maroon'>Carolyn Hepburn</span></font></b></strong></st1:PersonName><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Director, Native Education and Training</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on"><font size=2
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Sault</span></font></st1:PlaceName><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">College</st1:PlaceType></span></font></st1:place><font size=2
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> of Applied
Arts and Technology</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>443 Northern Avenue</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Sault Ste. <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Marie</st1:City>,
<st1:State w:st="on">ON</st1:State> <st1:PostalCode w:st="on">P6A 5L3</st1:PostalCode></st1:place></span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Phone: (705) 759-2554 ext. 2499</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Fax: (705) 759-0175</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Web: </span></font><a
href="http://www.saultcollege.ca/NativeEducation"><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>www.saultcollege.ca/NativeEducation</span></font></a><font
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