Chicago Public Schools Strive to Ensure Survival of Native American Languages

[Dr. Dorene Wiese]

Chicago Public Schools
News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September  7, 2007 
Chicago Public Schools Strive to Ensure Survival of Native American  
Languages 
Chicago Public Schools announced that the newly launched student  information 
management program, IMPACT, includes a list of Native American  languages 
that will help educational leaders identify the languages used within  the 
district. Students and their families will be able to identify which  languages are 
spoken in their homes. The Native American languages included are  primarily 
from the Great Lakes Tribes, a prominent segment of the Chicago Public  Schools 
Native American student population. These efforts are in line with H.R.  4766 
[109th]: Esther Martinez Native American Languages Preservation Act which  
became public law December 14, 2006. H.R. 4766 amends the Native American  
Programs Act of 1974 to provide for the revitalization of Native American  
languages through Native American language immersion programs and other  projects. “As 
the third largest school district in the country, we hope to  inspire other 
districts to take this critical step in identifying the use of  Native American 
languages at home. The data we gather can only help us build a  stronger 
understanding of our student body as well as assist us with language  programming,”
 Jolene Aleck, Coordinator of CPS Title VII Indian Education  Formula Grant 
Program. Dr. Dorene Wiese, President of Native American  Educational Service 
College praised the Chicago Public Schools for this effort."  The Chicago 
American Indian community applauds the many efforts of the Chicago  Public Schools 
to continue to find new and innovative ways to acknowledge the  many vibrant 
tribal cultures and languages that the first Americans contribute  to this great 
city. While NAES College has been the only college in the state,  offering 
the teaching and learning of tribal languages, much work still needs to  be done 
to ensure these languages continue as long as the grass grows. “As an  
Ojibwe, certified Native Language teacher this is a wonderful opportunity for  
Native American families to heal, my generation was silenced. Now, parents have  an 
opportunity to state they speak a Native language, this is a powerful  
message! Hopefully, this will encourage families to enroll their children into  
language programs.” Georgina and Dorothy Roy, Ojibwe Teachers from Native  
American Educational Services. For more information please contact Jolene Aleck  in 
the CPS Title VII Indian Education Formula Grant Program at 773-534-2874 or  
Ana Vargas in the CPS Office of Communications at 773-553-1614. --30--
Office  of Communications · 125 South Clark Street · Chicago, IL 60603 · 
(773) 553-1620  · FAX: (773) 553-1621



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