Assistant Professor to Testify on Native American Language Preservation (fwd)

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August 29, 2006

Assistant Professor to Testify on Native American Language Preservation

http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/001390.html

Christine Sims will testify before a congressional committee in
Albuquerque. The U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce
will hold a hearing on “Recovery and Preservation of Native American
Languages” Thursday, Aug. 31 at 2:30 p.m. at the Indian Pueblo Cultural
Center, 2401 12th Street NW in Albuquerque.

Photo: Assistant Professor Christine Sims

The hearing will examine the decline in Native American languages.
Chairman Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon, (R-CA) will be joined in leading
the committee by Rep. Heather Wilson (R-NM). Also serving on the
committee are Rep. Tom Udall (D-NM) and Rep. Tom Petri (R-WI).

Sims teaches in the Department of Language, Literature and Sociocultural
Studies and is from the Pueblo of Acoma. Her work at UNM emphasizes the
importance of teaching Native language as an essential part of the
education of American Indian children.

This hearing will examine the decline in Native American languages. The
committee also will explore Native American language immersion programs
as a solution to language preservation and will review the Native
American Languages Preservation Act, legislation introduced by Rep.
Wilson in February 2006 to secure the preservation of Native American
languages.

Across the country, Native American languages are in rapid decline. It
is estimated that only twenty indigenous languages will remain viable
by the year 2050. As a result of the rapid deterioration of Native
languages, Native communities across the country have made language
recovery and preservation one of their highest priorities.

Media Contact: Greg Johnston, (505) 277-1816; e-mail: gregj at unm.edu