Pe 7
THE CONFEDERATED TRIBES LANGUAGE LESSON-
July 12, 2001
Language Update
A message from the Culture and Heritage Director
" ' 1 1 low many Tribal Members and Orga-
nization staff are aware of laws that
j have been enacted by the Federal
rj- uovernmcnt ior tne 'reservation or
f Native American Languages? We
; would like to share one of the laws
with you, that have been one of the
inspirations to our program being able
to do what we do today with our three Tribal languages:
Native American Languages Act of 1990
P.L. 101-477 (October 30, 1990)
This federal policy statement recognizing the language rights
of Americanflndians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and
Pacific Islanders was quietly enacted in the waning hours of
the 101st Congress. Sponsored by Senator Daniel Inouye,
Democrat of Hawaii, the bill passed on a voice vote in both
House and Senate without hearings or any vocal opposition. It
authorizes no new programs for Native Americans, nor
additional funding for existing ones, but is expected to facili
tate efforts to preserve indigenous languages.
SHORT TITLE
SEC. 101 . This title may be cited as the "Native American
Languages Act."
FINDINGS
SEC. 102. The Congress finds that
(1 ) the status of the cultures and languages of Native Ameri
cans is unique and the United States has the responsibility to
act together with Native Americans to ensure the survival of
these unique cultures and languages;
(2) special status is accorded Native Americans in the United
States, a status that recognizes distinct cultural and political
rights, including the right to continue separate identities;
(3) the traditional languages of Native Americans are an
integral part of their cultures and identities and form the basic
medium for the transmission, and thus survival, of Native
American cultures, literatures, histories, religions, political
Institutions, and values;
(4) there is a widespread practice of treating Native American
languages as if they were anachronisms;
(5) there is a lack of clear, comprehensive, and consistent
Federal policy on treatment of Native American languages
which has often resulted in acts of suppression and extermina
tion of Native American languages and cultures;
(6) there is convincing evidence that student achievement and
performance, community and school pride, and educational
opportunity is clearly and directly tied to respect for, and
support of, the first language of the child or student;
(7) it is clearly in the interests of the United States, individual
States, and territories to encourage the full academic and
human potential achievements of all students and citizens and
to take step to realize these ends;
(8) acts of suppression and extermination directed against
Native American languages and cultures are in conflict with
the United States policy of self-determination for Native
Americans;
(9) languages are the means of communication for the full
range of human experiences and are critical to the survival of
cultural- and political integrity of any people; and
(10) language provides a direct and powerful means of pro
moting international communication by people who share
languages. ' .
DEFINITIONS
SEC. 103. For purposes of this title
(1) The term "Native American" means an Indian, Native
Hawaiian, or Native American Pacific Islander.
(2) The term "Indian" has the meaning given to such term
under section 5351(4) of the Indian Education Act of 1988
(25 U.S.C. 2651(4)).
(3) The term "Native Hawaiian" has the meaning given to
such term by section 4009 of Public Law 100-297 (20 U.S.C.
4909).
(4) The term "Native American Pacific Islander" means any
descendant of the aboriginal people of any island in the
Pacific Ocean that is a territory or possession of the United
States.
(5) The terms "Indian tribe" and "tribal organization" have
the respective meaning given to each of such terms under
section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Educational
Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b).
(6) The term "Native American language" means the histori
cal, traditional languages spoken by Native Americans.
(7) The term "traditional leaders" includes Native Americans
who have special expertise in Native American culture and
Native American languages.
(8) The term "Indian reservation" has the same meaning
given to the term "reservation" under section 3 of the Indian
Financing Act of 1974 (25 U.S.C. 1452).
DECLARATION OF POLICY
SEC. 104. It Is the policy of the United States to
(1) preserve, protect, and promote the rights and freedom of
Native Americans to use, practice, and develop Native Ameri
can languages;
(2) allow exceptions to teacher certification requirements for
Federal programs and programs funded in whole or in part by
the Federal Government, for instruction in Native American
languages when such teacher certification requirements hinder
the employment of qualified teachers who teach in Native
American languages, and to encourage State and territorial
governments to make similar exceptions;
(3) encourage and support the use of Native American lan
guages as a medium of instruction in order to encourage and
support
(a) Native American language survival,
(b) equal educational opportunity,
(c) increased student success and performance,
(d) increased student awareness and knowledge of their culture
and history, and
(e) increased student and community pride;
(4) encourage State and local education programs to work with
Native American parents, educators, Indian tribes, and other
Native American governing bodies in the implementation of
programs to put this policy into effect;
(5) recognize the right of Indian tribes and other Native
American governing bodies to use the Native American lan
guages as a medium of instruction in all schools funded by the
Secretary of the Interior;
(6) fully recognize the inherent right of Indian tribes and other
Native American governing bodies, States, territories, and
possessions of the United States to take action on, and give
official status to, their Native American languages for the
purpose of conducting their own business;
(7) support the granting of comparable proficiency achieved
through course work in a Native American language the same
academic credit as comparable proficiency achieved through
course work in a foreign language, with recognition of such
Native American language proficiency by institutions of
higher education as fulfilling foreign language entrance or
degree requirements; and
(8) encourage all institutions of elementary, secondary, and
higher education, where appropriate, to include Native Ameri
can languages in the curriculum in the same manner as foreign
languages and to grant proficiency in Native American lan
guages the same full academic credit as proficiency in foreign
languages.
NO RESTRICTIONS
SEC. 105. The right of Native Americans to express them- ;
selves through the use of Native American languages shall not
be restricted in any public proceeding, including publicly
supported education programs.
EVALUATIONS
SEC. 106. (a) The President shall direct the heads of the
various Federal departments, agencies, and instrumentalities to
( 1 ) evaluate their policies and procedures in consultation with
Indian tribes and other Native American governing bodies as
well as traditional leaders and educators in order to determine
and implement changes needed to bring the policies and
procedures into compliance with the provisions of this Act;
(2) give the greatest effect possible in making such evalua
tions, absent a clear specific Federal statutory requirement to
the contrary, to the policies and procedures which will give the
broadest effect to the provisions of this Act; and
(3) evaluate the laws which they administer and make recom
mendations to the President on amendments needed to bring
such laws into compliance with the provisions of this Act.
(b) By no later than the date that is one year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to Congress a
report containing recommendations for amendments to Federal
laws that are needed to bring such laws into compliance with
the provisions of this Act.
USE OF ENGLISH
SEC. 107. Nothing in this Act shall be construed as precluding
the use of Federal funds to teach English to Native Americans.
Would you like to see more biographies of
our teachers?
i
BET
Some of the
Language
Teachers
have earned
scholarships
to attend
the North
west Indig
enous Lan
guage
nstitute in
Eugene,
Oregon on
the Univer
sity of
Oregon
Campus.
The Language
rogram
works hard
at being as
professional
as the
teachers
hired
through the
district. This
allows us to
help Tribal
Council
acomplish
it's PRIORITY
in providing
resources to
develop new
speakers of
each of the
three tribal
angauges.
Will you be
our next
anguage
speaker?
Barriers have
been
broken...your
LDERS want
you to
know...join
We'll
earn to
gether.
YOU THOUGHT THEY WEREN'T BUSY
FOR THE SUMMER HUH?
CHECK OUT WHAT YOUR FAVORITE TEACHERS ARE DOING
THIS SUMMER.
July 2001
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu
Fri
Sat
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oui l-rv I Meetlngi-3 2 9:00 Adobe Hiotoshop 'Ij? 1UL1UA I 4 p,uve O Uallas-Leave . C
ACADEMY. Kindergarten Curriculum lOT ITMTFPR " Arlita Leave
nnnmitw nc4 Mert,n "" vuluilcr. Anna Leave
IIZU-ZlUl All Staff Meeting KWSO Recording 11-11:45 ITH OF JULY Pat Leave TaraLee-Leavi
830-12:00 STIVITIES
Q Kiksht Curriculum Kiksht Curriculum Mk W -j -j Bud(et Worksheets duj Dallas-Leave . . .
O Meeting 1-3 9:00 Adobe PhotoshopllrV' 5:00-7:30 PM Kiksht - IO I
Kindergarten Curriculum 6:00-B:00 PM Palute Language
Mtg 10:30-12:00 bangmge ; fcW-3maplin Language
Teacher Meeting 9-10 6:00-7:30 Sahaptin Language Simnasho
TaraLee Leave Simnasho 1
Summer Vouth-lchlshkiln : '
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Mtg 10:30-12:00 - Language , Learning
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Mlg 10:30-12:00 Language .. Anna Leave
Teacher Meeting MO 6:00-7:30 Sahaptin Language Summer Bridge
Summer Youth-lchishkiin Simnasho Language Learning
2930 -731 " ' 1 ; '
readier Meeting 9-10 ! '
KWSO Recording 11-11:45 ,
COFLT Tralning-LeGrande
OR AH staff
Suzie Leave
Sun
12
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Dated
19
26
August 2001
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