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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Fyi item. <br>
Thanks<br>
Carolyn<o:p></o:p></span></font></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=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>National Indian Education Association<br>
<st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">110 Maryland Avenue, N.E.</st1:address></st1:Street><br>
<st1:address w:st="on"><st1:Street w:st="on">Suite</st1:Street> 104</st1:address><br>
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Washington</st1:City>, <st1:State
w:st="on">D.C.</st1:State> <st1:PostalCode w:st="on">20002</st1:PostalCode></st1:place><br>
P: (202) 544-7290 / F: (202) 544-7293 <br>
<br>
September 26, 2006<br>
Broadcast #06-060<br>
<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>President Wilson to give major address on the
Native Language Revitalization Movement on the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Arizona
Campus</st1:PlaceName></st1:place> today at 7:00 pm.</span></b> <br>
<br>
“Why We Can’t Wait!”<br>
<br>
The speech will be delivered to an audience of Native Students, staff, and
faculty, as well as Arizona Tribes and NIEA members on the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Arizona
Campus</st1:PlaceName></st1:place> in room 301 BIO Sciences building and will
air in its entirety nationally on the Nativenet.com website. A complete
transcript will be available via NIEA Broadcast next week. President
Wilson’s address will come on the eve of a historic day in the United
States House of Representatives which will include floor action on H.R. 4766
The Esther Martinez Native Language Preservation Act of 2006 (scheduled for
September 27th).<br>
<br>
“I am looking forward to the address, students all over the country have
given NIEA their tremendous energy. U of A students have been actively
following NIEA this year. They are ready to be apart of history and see this
language movement through to completion,” said <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Wilson</st1:place></st1:City>.<br>
<br>
<st1:State w:st="on">Arizona</st1:State> is a pivotal state in the Native
Language Revitalization movement, president <st1:City w:st="on">Wilson</st1:City>
is expected to thank the <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Arizona</st1:place></st1:State>
tribes, the Intertribal Council of Arizona, and the Navajo Nation for their
unwavering support on this critical piece of legislation.<br>
<br>
Coming off a significant trip to Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, home of Joe Garcia
president of the National Congress of American Indians, and home of the late
Esther Martinez for whom the bill has been renamed after her tragic death.
President Wilson said, “We can wait no more, this crucial piece of
legislation must pass in this Congress.”<br>
<br>
While in Ohkay OWingeh president Wilson, in a private ceremony, made a tobacco
offering for Esther Martinez and gave thanks for her life and the entire Pueblo
of Ohkay Owingeh for sharing her with all of Indian Country.<br>
<br>
After crisis crossing the Halls of Congress and Indian Country, NIEA has taken
the lead in advancing opportunities for a federal investment in Native
Immersion schools. The speech at U of A will culminate a year long effort to do
what many people thought was impossible and that is fundamentally changing the
way the federal government looks and treats Indian education.<br>
<br>
This event is sponsored by: American Indian Language Development Institute
(AILDI), Department of Language, <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Reading</st1:place></st1:City>
and Culture (LRC), Native American Student Affairs, (NASA), American Indian
Graduate Student Council (AISGC). For more information contact AISP at (520)
621-7108.<br>
<br>
<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Joe Shirley, Navajo Nation President, and
Ryan Wilson, National Indian Education Association, meet to Encourage Tribes
and Congress to support H.R.4766 The Esther Martinez Native Language
Preservation Act of 2006</span></b><br>
<br>
President Shirley joined Joe Garcia, Tex Hall, Amedeo Shije, Carl Vann, Ernie
Stensgar and other prominent National tribal leaders in Endorsing H.R. 4766,
and NIEA’s efforts to elevate language revitalization as a national
priority in Indian Country.<br>
<br>
With President Shirley’s endorsement, the Navajo Nation has joined the
Intertribal Council of Arizona in getting behind H.R. 4766. The <st1:State
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Arizona</st1:place></st1:State> tribes represent
some of the last strong holds of fluent Native speakers, they are now squarely
behind the bill.<br>
<br>
Shirley stated, “I have been saying throughout Navajo and throughout the
rest of Native America, culture and our way of life is inherent in our
language. If we lose the language, we lose our culture, we lose self."<br>
<br>
Standing with President Shirley, <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Wilson</st1:place></st1:City>
shared, “This has to be a national effort, not just with the
organizations but with tribes. NIEA is emboldened by the support of the Navajo
Nation.” <br>
<br>
The two leaders urged action on the H.R. 4766 prior to the close of the 109th
Congress. Both leaders believe with the help of Congress, Indian country can
turn back the tide in language loss. They did not stop at urging Congress, but
also urged other tribes to engage each other as well as their state
representative. <br>
<br>
Shirley ended by saying – “Other tribal leaders know I stand with
them, we all need to stand together as Nations, as Native leaders across the
country. Only in doing so, can we truly make a difference."<br>
<br>
An Executive Order signed by President Bush in 2004 promised assistance for
America Indian students in meeting the academic standards of the No Child Left
Behind Act “in a manner consistent with tribal traditions, languages an
cultures.” According to the NIEA, this is an important step toward -
“refining No Child Left Behind so it works for Native students in a
manner that supports Native culture."<br>
<br>
The Native American Languages Act, originally passed in 1990, reversed
long–standing government policies of eliminating Native Languages. The
act sought to preserve, protect and promote the rights and freedoms of Native
Americans to use, practice and develop Native Languages.<br>
<br>
HR 4766 reinvigorates the NALA of 1990 with a more focused approach to language
recovery and new funding opportunities including resources for Heritage
Language/Immersion schools.</span></font><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<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
face="Arial Narrow"><span style='font-family:"Arial Narrow"'> </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>
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