FW: NIEA IMPORTANT Broadcast #06-029

[Carolyn Hepburn]

 <http://www.niea.org> 	 
	

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

June 2, 2006
Broadcast #06-029


National Indian Education Association Urges Congress to Pass Native
American Language Immersion Legislation

WASHINGTON - June 2, 2006

President Wilson Issues Unprecedented Call To Action For Indian Country
To Defend Our Sacred Native Languages

On the heels of his moving testimony to the Senate Committee on Indian
Affairs concerning the rapid decline of Native languages, President
Wilson calls for all of Indian Country to rally around pending
legislation that would support Federal funding for Native American
Immersion Programs.

Wilson stated that the pending bills represent our best and possibly our
last hope in revitalizing our Native languages. He also added,

"The fierce urgency of now cannot be overstated. We have denied and been
denied, through apathy and indifference, the sacred birthright of
generation after generation of Indian children. This must end. We owe
our children an opportunity to express themselves in the languages used
here since the beginning of time. A thousand generations have carried on
these languages before us, and now it comes down to this defining place
in history where we will decide if our languages and cultures are to be
relegated to the cluttered dust bin of history; or if history will
record that when Indian Country was faced with this decisive moment, it
chose to act, it chose to stand up, it chose to carry on, and it chose
to honor its sacred legacy that so many lived and died for. Our
generation truly has a date with destiny and on July 12th we will take
together, with one motion, a significant step toward destiny. We will
speak together with one voice, saying that Native languages have a place
in Indian Education and Indian Education is incomplete without inclusion
of our languages."

Under the leadership of Joe Garcia, President of the National Congress
of American Indians, Native language revitalization has become NCAI'S
number one education priority. Other national Tribal leaders have
weighed in as well. Tex Hall, the co-chair of the NCAI and NIEA Tribal
Leader's Education Task Force, added,

"Here's a mission we actually can accomplish. It's time for Indian
Country to show the rest of the Nation just how proud we are of our
culture. We can do this by getting Congress to pass a Native American
Language Protection Bill." 

Events surrounding the Summit include an opening assembly on Capitol
Hill from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. The assembly will feature
Congressional guests, a special presentation for the Code Talkers, and
dissemination of advocacy materials on the pending Immersion Bills. Hill
visits to key Congressional Offices will take place from 12:30 to 5:00
p.m., and a staff briefing will be held on the Senate side in the
afternoon. The Summit will conclude with an evening reception at the
Museum of The American Indian co-hosted by the National Indian Gaming
Association honoring the Code Talkers, and the Native Language
Revitalization movement.

The Summit is free, but registration is required. This will help us
secure appropriate Hill visits for our members.

We urge our elders, educators, tribal leaders, cultural practitioners,
youth, veterans, and all those concerned with the future of Native
Languages to attend.

Updated information will be made known as details are worked out such as
hotel information, speakers in attendance, and exact locations. A flier,
in text format, will follow this broadcast. A formatted flier will be
posted on our website for downloading, printing and dissemination.

For more information, please contact NIEA at 202-544-7290 or at
niea at niea.org.

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 <http://www.niea.org> 	




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