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An app to teach students the Navajo language. Photo by Cronkite News.
To support the revitalization, protection, preservation, and reclamation of Indigenous languages in the United States, the Biden-Harris Administration has 10-Year National Plan for Indigenous Revitalization during the 2024 White House Tribal Nations Summit.
“Indigenous languages are central to our cultures, our way of life and who we are as people,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in a news release. “They connect us to our ancestors, to our homeland and to our place in the world.”
The National Plan is a joint effort among government agencies that outlines strategies to address the government’s role in the loss of indigenous languages among Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities.
“This ambitious plan represents the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to addressing the mistakes of the past and restoring what was taken from us,” Haaland said. The Departments of the Interior, Education, and Health and Human Services drafted the plan.
The National Plan for the Revitalization of Native Languages is the result of the Department of the Interior’s work to address the systematic and deliberate policies implemented by the United States to forcibly assimilate indigenous peoples and exploit indigenous languages and cultures rowing as part of the Federal Indian Boarding School system. .
“Congress’s authorization and funding of this plan will reduce the number of vulnerable and endangered native languages and increase the number of competent native speakers, as defined by Native Americans,” the report said.
The Ministry of the Interior launched the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative in 2021. The initiative was launched two reports which highlighted the devastating impact that the boarding school system had and continues to have on indigenous communities. It also provided a complete list of all federally operated schools.
President Joe Biden became the first sitting president formally acknowledge and apologize to indigenous communities in October for the role of the federal government in developing and enforcing policy.
“The legacy of forced assimilation continues to threaten the survival of many Indigenous languages, and the legacy of the boarding school era echoes in the current educational experience for Indigenous students,” the report said.
The report states that congressional action is needed to preserve indigenous languages. If no action is taken, there will still be fewer than 20 indigenous languages in use in the Americas by 2050. There are currently 167 indigenous languages spoken.
“We use language to make history, share knowledge, map the future and pass on traditions,” Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a written statement. “Investing in language revitalization strengthens communities and contributes to their resilience.”
The plan prioritizes investing in and supporting Indigenous language efforts within academia. The plan calls for strategic investments in core content education in Indigenous languages to improve educational outcomes for all Indigenous youth.
“I always say multilingualism is a superpower – and that includes Native American languages,” said Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.
Cardona said he traveled throughout Indian Country as Secretary of Education and learned words in the Oneida, Dakota and Nakota languages.
“One thing was crystal clear: when young people regain their native language, they reconnect deeply with who they are and where they come from,” he said. “But for too long, indigenous peoples have suffered under shameful policies aimed at eradicating these languages and cultures.”
Cardona added that he is hopeful that this national plan will be the beginning of the government’s recovery for its participation in the Federal Indian Boarding School policy that has impacted Indigenous communities for generations.
“I am hopeful that we can all choose to keep fighting for a future where Indigenous communities have the resources and support to keep their languages alive and their cultures thriving,” he said.
According to the Department of the Interior, the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) funds 187 schools for indigenous students and works to provide them with high-quality, culturally relevant education. However, the BIE did not receive funding for language revitalization until 2017, and appropriations have not exceeded $7.5 million for any year.
As part of the summit, the Department of the Interior also announced a partnership agreement with the National Fund for Excellence in American Indian Education, which will provide $7.5 million in existing grants to BIE schools to support the launch or expansion of immersion programs .
“This funding will help build a network of BIE schools committed to integrating native language immersion and cultural education into their curricula, giving students the tools to connect with their language and heritage,” said the department in a press release. “Together with the National Plan for Native Language Revitalization, these efforts create a comprehensive strategy to protect, preserve, and reclaim indigenous languages in the United States.”
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