New language law

Andre Cramblit andrekar at NCIDC.ORG
Fri Sep 29 16:12:35 UTC 2006 

It is the Esther Martinez Native American Languages Preservation Act  
(HR 4766).  It now has to be approved by teh Senate so work is still  
needed to get this Bill Enacted into Law

House approves Esther Martinez native language bill

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Esther Martinez


Last Update: 09/28/2006 10:12:50 AM
By: Associated Press

ALBUQUERQUE (AP) - The US House has approved legislation that would  
establish grants for governments, colleges and other Indian language  
educational organizations that work to preserve native cultures and  
language.

The Esther Martinez Native Languages Preservation Act is named after  
a Tewa storyteller and linguist who died this month after returning  
from an awards ceremony at the National Endowment for the Arts.

Republican Representative Heather Wilson of New Mexico is sponsoring  
the measure. Her office says the bill passed Wednesday on a voice vote.

Wilson says native languages were precious to Martinez and the bill  
is designed to help preserve them.

The bill authorizes competitive grants through the US Department of  
Health and Human Services to establish native language programs for  
students under the age of seven and their families.

It also increases support for language immersion programs to create  
fluent speakers.



ADDITIONAL INFO:



PLEASE CROSS POST AND FORWARD!!!

National Indian Education Association
110 Maryland Avenue, N.E.
Suite 104
Washington, D.C. 20002
P: (202) 544-7290 / F: (202) 544-7293

September 22, 2006
Broadcast #06-056

The Esther Martinez Native American Languages Preservation Act of  
2006, H.R. 4766 will be on the suspension calendar in the House of  
Representatives the week of September 25th which means that the House  
will vote on the bill next week. This bill will create grant programs  
under the Department of Health and Human Services for Native language  
survival schools, Native language nests, and Native language  
restoration programs. Representative Heather Wilson, (R-NM)  
introduced this legislation during NIEA?s Legislative Summit and has  
been working very closely with NIEA and Indian Country to turn the  
bill into law. Most recently, the House Education and Workforce  
Committee held field hearing on the bill in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  
Co-sponsors of H.R. 4766 include Representatives Rick Renzi (R-AZ),  
Tom Udall (D-NM), Steve Pearce (R-NM), and Mark Udall (D-CO).



NIEA is requesting that all tribes, tribal Education departments, and  
schools express their support for this bill that will provide  
critical support for our languages. A sample letter is attached to  
send to your congressional delegation in both the House of  
Representatives and the Senate. We have a short time frame (by  
Monday) to get these letters into your congressional delegation and  
leadership on the House Education and Workforce Committee and Senate  
Committee on Indian Affairs. The attached letters are addressed to  
the House Education and Workforce Committee and the Senate Committee  
on Indian Affairs, but can be tailored to your individual  
Congressional members. PLEASE have your tribes, tribal education  
departments, and schools send in the letters to your congressional  
representatives TODAY and MONDAY. We do not have time to lose! If you  
have any questions- please feel free to contact NIEA at (202)544-7290.

Please send the letters to your congressional representatives and the  
four fax #?s below.

Senate Committee on Indian Affairs fax #?s (202) 224-5429 (Majority)  
and (202)228-2589 (Minority)
House Education and Workforce Committee fax #?s (202)225-9571  
(Majority), and (202)226-4864 (Minority)

Please send a copy to the National Indian Education Association fax #  
(202) 544-7293

Cut and paste the following text.

SAMPLE LETTER TO THE HOUSE

September __, 2006

The Honorable Howard "Buck" McKeon
Chairman
Education and the Workforce Committee
U.S. House of Representatives
2181 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

The Honorable George Miller
Ranking Member
Education and the Workforce Committee
U.S. House of Representatives
2181 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Chairman McKeon and Ranking Member Miller:

On behalf of ___________, I support H.R. 4766, the Esther Martinez  
Native American Languages Preservation Act of 2006. I understand that  
this bill will be on the suspension calendar in the House of  
Representatives the week of September 25th. We urge the House to pass  
this critical legislation.

There is a crisis loss of Native languages across the country. It is  
estimated that only twenty indigenous languages will remain viable by  
the year 2050. Our Native languages are not spoken anywhere else in  
the world; and, if they are not preserved, they will disappear  
forever. Given the rapid pace of deterioration of Native languages,  
it is a race against the clock to save Native languages.

The key to stemming the loss of Native languages is by significantly  
increasing support for Native American language immersion programs.  
It is well proven that language immersion programs are one of the few  
effective ways to create fluent speakers in Native languages.  
Further, data shows that Native students who participate in an  
immersion program attain higher academic success compared to their  
Native peers who do not participate in these programs.

The United States should do all that it can to preserve Native  
American languages as these languages played a vital role in  
protecting our country during World Wars I and II. Also, as a result  
of federal assimilationist policies in the early and mid-1900?s, many  
Native people stopped speaking their Native languages because they  
were forced to attend Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding schools that  
harshly forbid the speaking of Native languages.

Currently, under existing law, the Administration for Native  
Americans, Health and Human Services, administers a Native American  
languages revitalization grant program under the Native American  
Programs Act of 1974. H.R. 4766 would provide for expanded uses under  
the current grant program to allow for Native American language  
immersion grants. The language immersion grants would assist Native  
communities as they work to revitalize and protect their languages  
for generations to come.

We appreciate your efforts to help us save our Native American  
languages and look forward to working with you to ensure that this  
legislation is enacted into law.

Sincerely,

SAMPLE LETTER TO THE SENATE

September __, 2006

The Honorable John McCain Chairman Indian Affairs Committee U.S.  
Senate Washington, D.C. 20510

The Honorable Byron Dorgan Vice Chairman Indian Affairs Committee  
U.S. Senate Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Chairman McCain and Vice Chairman Dorgan:

On behalf of ___________, I strongly support H.R. 4766, the Esther  
Martinez Native American Languages Preservation Act of 2006. I  
understand that this bill will be on the suspension calendar in the  
House of Representatives the week of September 25th. This bill will  
likely pass the House, and we urge the Senate to pass the House bill  
by unanimous consent.

There is a crisis loss of Native languages across the country. It is  
estimated that only twenty indigenous languages will remain viable by  
the year 2050. Our Native languages are not spoken anywhere else in  
the world; and, if they are not preserved, they will disappear  
forever. Given the rapid pace of deterioration of Native languages,  
it is a race against the clock to save Native languages.

The key to stemming the loss of Native languages is by significantly  
increasing support for Native American language immersion programs.  
It is well proven that language immersion programs are one of the few  
effective ways to create fluent speakers in Native languages.  
Further, data shows that Native students who participate in an  
immersion program attain higher academic success compared to their  
Native peers who do not participate in these programs.

The United States should do all that it can to preserve Native  
American languages as these languages played a vital role in  
protecting our country during World Wars I and II. Also, as a result  
of federal assimilationist policies in the early and mid-1900?s, many  
Native people stopped speaking their Native languages because they  
were forced to attend Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding schools that  
harshly forbid the speaking of Native languages.

Currently, under existing law, the Administration for Native  
Americans, Health and Human Services, administers a Native American  
languages revitalization grant program under the Native American  
Programs Act of 1974. H.R. 4766 would provide for expanded uses under  
the current grant program to allow for Native American language  
immersion grants. The language immersion grants would assist Native  
communities as they work to revitalize and protect their languages  
for generations to come.

We appreciate your efforts to help us save our Native American  
languages and look forward to working with you to ensure that this  
legislation is enacted into law.

Sincerely,
----------------------------------------------------

On Sep 29, 2006, at 5:56 AM, Peter Suzuki wrote:


Dear Andre Crambit,

    In the Indigenous News Digest, there is an item about a new language
law.  Would you please provide more details or provide a reference  
for more
detials.
Thank you.
Peter T. Suzuki, Ph.D.
School of Public Administation
Univ. of Neb. at Omaha

new email: psuzuki at mail.unomaha.edu

   Thanks for keeping me posted with the Indigenous News Digest

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