MN Native languages legislative victory

[Richard LaFortune]

May 17, 2004
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


MINNESOTA LEGISLATURE PASSES RESOLUTION SUPPORTING
OJIBWE AND DAKOTA LANGUAGE
REVITALIZATION

For more information contact:
Richard LaFortune, 612-871-0731 or 612-267-1682 (cell)
Native American language researcher, writer, linguist
consultant

At the height of spring, as the rain blessed the
plants of Minnesota, the
Senate and the House of Representatives of the
Minnesota Legislature formally
adopted a concurrent resolution to support the
revitalization of the Dakota and
Ojibwe languages that are native to this state, but
are on the
verge of extinction. Native languages are recognized a
pathway to learning
excellence for Native American students across the
country.

The Dakota Ojibwe Language Revitalization Alliance is
poised to make this
accomplishment one of many in the long road to
revitalization of the Dakota and
Ojibwe languages. The language alliance will be
working with elders and
communities around the state through the summer. With
less than 30 fully fluent
Dakota speakers living in Minnesota and few fully
fluent speakers left on each of
the seven Ojibwe Reservations in Minnesota, there
isn't a moment to lose.
Legislative co-chair Richard LaFortune says, "This is
a bright spot in state
relations amidst so many other differences that arose
this past year."

The Language Revitalization Alliance is a gathering of
elders; fluent Dakota
and Ojibwe speakers, early childhood and childcare
providers, members from all
eleven tribes in Minnesota, educators, school
achievement, and education
advocates, and community members. This Alliance has
been meeting since June, 2003
to examine the existing barriers and opportunities to
language revitalization,
convening people who are concerned about the loss of
language, supporting
each others work, and building awareness at the state
and local levels of
language revitalization and immersion programs.

For Alliance members, language is important to fully
understand the cultures
and traditions of the Dakota and Ojibwe people.
Because the Ojibwe and
Dakota languages were forcefully and often violently
taken away thorough the
boarding schools, many people see language
revitalization as an important step in
reclaiming cultures, educational achievement, and a
positive image of one's
self.

Experts see a connection to many of the difficulties
in the Native American
community as an outgrowth of the historical trauma and
unresolved grief from so
much loss as well as continuing injustices toward
Native people. John
Poupart, facilitator for the Dakota Ojibwe Language
Revitalization Alliance, says,
"Connecting to our inner identity is a corner stone of
where we must go,
language is part of that cornerstone."

There have been many strategies to increase the
success of Native children
many designed by the mainstream culture that does not
recognize the ways of
thinking and being of the Native American community.
Research is now showing
that students in a language immersion experience have
greater success in school
and had consistent measurable improvement on local and
national measures of
achievements. (Bringing Thunder by Janine Pease Pretty
on Top, Tribal College
Journal of American Indian Higher Education). Native
Hawaiian children in
immersion experience outperform the average for Native
Hawaiian children. The Maori
tribes in New Zealand went from a 5%-15% pass rate in
school to a soaring 75%
when students were involved in language immersion.
Similar statistics are
found at the Piegan Institute in Montana with
Blackfeet language and other
immersion schools around the United States.

Language immersion is shown to have a multiplier
effect for young Native
American children. Language Immersion with children
has developed 'intensive
language acquisition' which benefits in communication.
Learning one's native
language reveals and teaches tribal philosophies is a
link between the past and
future of Native American tribal nations. Darrell Kipp
of the Piegan Institute
has documented the precious bond created between the
children and elders.
"Knowledge of the Native language gives tribal members
a unique tool for analy
zing and synthesizing the world, and the incorporating
the knowledge and values
of the tribal nation into the world at
large."(Crawford)

As Minnesota's first languages, Dakota and Ojibwe are
important assets to
Minnesota and to the world's linguistic resources. The
complexity and unique
aspects of Ojibwe and Dakota languages provide
important worldviews and concepts
that can enrich all Minnesotans. Richard LaFortune
says, "Native American
languages represent some of the richest and most
sophisticated languages on
earth. Language revitalization presents an outstanding
opportunity of our young
people to maintain heritage and increase education
success.

The Dakota Ojibwe Language Revitalization Alliance
will be sharing their
stories, visions and dreams for a Minnesota where the
Dakota and Ojibwe languages
are revitalized, where members of the Dakota and
Ojibwe communities hear their
language every day, reclaim their positive self
identity, and unlock their
great potential for educational achievements.

"We look forward to hearing Governor Pawlenty's
response, as well as his
commissioners of education and health and human
services," noted LaFortune.






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