Fw: Committee recommends near doubling of Native Language program funding

Tue Jun 12 00:12:20 UTC 2007

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Subject: [TalkIndianOK] Fw: Committee recommends near doubling of Native Language program funding

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From: Pat Benabe 
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Subject: Committee recommends near doubling of Native Language program funding

For Immediate Release
Contact:

June 8, 2007
Ryan Wilson: (206) 420-9194
r_lakota at hotmail.com

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House Appropriations Subcommittee Recommends Near Doubling of Native
Language Program Funding 

New funds targeted at Native American language nests, language survival
schools, and language restoration programs.

The House Labor, HHS, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee of the
House Appropriations Committee met Thursday, June 7, 2007, to mark up
the FY 2008 Labor, HHS appropriations bill. Included in the mark-up was
an increase in funding for Native American Programs in HHS, from $44
million to $47 million, with the extra $3 million targeted at
implementation of language immersion and restoration programs authorized
by the recently passed Esther Martinez Native American Languages
Preservation Act of 2006. Currently less than 10 percent of the ANA
budget is spent on language programs, with only 1 percent spent on
immersion programs. The new funds would increase total funding for ANA
language programs from the current level of approximately $4 million to
a new level of approximately $7 million. 

"This day may well mark the turning point in our efforts to halt the
dramatic decline in Native languages and, indeed, to commence their
revitalization," said Ryan Wilson (Oglala Lakota), President of the
National Alliance to Save Native Languages. President Wilson added,
"Although the National Alliance sought a $10 million boost, this new
funding will definitely jump-start a lot of critical programs and is a
great increase in a tough budgetary environment."

The National Alliance to Save Native Languages represents a broad
coalition of Indian country, including tribes, tribal organizations,
language experts, teachers and students, united in their goal of
revitalizing Native languages. The National Alliance held a language
summit in Washington, DC on June 4-5, 2007, and has held many meetings
over that last nine months with members of Congress and their staff to
express the importance of Native language survival and to urge support
for language immersion and restoration efforts.

President Wilson stated, "Indian Country had a great champion in
Congressman Tom Udall (D-NM) on the Labor, HHS Subcommittee. He was a
co-sponsor of the Esther Martinez legislation and, when he became a
member of the Appropriations Committee this year, made it a personal
priority to secure funding for its programs." President Wilson added,
"This national effort also secured great backing from the leadership of
the Native American caucus with the co-chairs, Congressman Dale Kildee
(D-MI) and Congressman Rick Renzi (R-AZ) sending a joint letter to the
appropriators urging their support for increased funding. We remain
grateful for Congresswoman Heather Wilson's (R-NM) leadership on the
authorizing legislation, and that of House Education Committee Chairman
George Miller (D-CA) and Ranking Member Buck McKeon (R-CA), as well as
many others who have been allies in this effort."

There are about 175 Native languages still spoken in the United States,
but scholars believe that 155 languages are "moribund," meaning that
they are spoken only by adults who are no longer passing the language
actively down to the next generation. Native educators have found that
immersion programs are successful at teaching fluency in Native
languages to the next generation, which means that these languages will
survive.

President Wilson noted, "Our work is not done. This is only a
beginning, albeit a good one. The Senate appropriators have yet to
decide on funding for these programs, where we want to seek even higher
increases. Even with new funding, ultimate responsibility for success
lies within our own communities. Indian country has been united in this
effort, with great leadership not only from the National Alliance's
membership, but also from the National Indian Education Association,
National Congress of American Indians, the Navajo Nation, and literally
scores of other tribes and tribal organizations. If we remain united,
we shall succeed!"

The Esther Martinez Native American Languages Preservation Act of 2006
or HR 4766 was signed and passed into law by President George W. Bush in
December 2006 amending the Native American Programs Act of 1974 adding
clauses that would open up grant opportunities to Native American
Language Nests, Native American Language Survival Schools, and Native
American Language Restoration Programs. 

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