Home Democrat-News SCHATZ introduces a bill to support native American languages. Sen. Murkowski supports this bill.
The Durbin Feeling Native Language Act was introduced today by Senators Durbin (D-IL), Murkowski (R-AK) and Blumenthal (D-CT). This bipartisan legislation will require the Department of Education to conduct an annual survey of federally funded programs that involve Native American languages. The results of this survey will provide information to Congress and the public about the status of Native American languages and the extent to which existing federal programs are serving them well. The data collected will also be used to inform future policy decisions regarding the preservation and promotion of Native American languages.
The bill is supported by the joint national committee for languages-national council for languages and international studies, national congress of american indians, national indian education association, national coalition of native american language schools and programs, and the cherokee nation. Amanda seewald, president, joint national committee for languages – national council for languages and international study
The information gathered by engaging Native Americans and Congress will better inform their advocacy to sustain and revitalise Native American languages and fulfil the promise of NALAs across the nation. The coordinated effort directed by the Durbin Feeling Native Language Act is necessary to ensure equity of availability and access to resources for the learners, teachers, speakers of Native American languages.
The bill is named after Senator Durbin who is an American senator representing Illinois. He is also known as “Dianne”. This bill is about preserving native languages. It aims to assess the current state of Native languages and produce information about them. It also aims to provide funding for programs that preserve these languages.
Native languages are important to the first Americans as well as to the United States. The federal government should protect them and help preserve them.
The Durbin feeling Native American Language Act (H.R. 3491) was introduced by Representative Bobby Scott (D-VA). This act would provide $1 million for the National Council on Native American Language Preservation and Revitalization (NCNALP) to assist tribal governments in developing plans to preserve and revitalize Native American languages.
Today, there are only about two thousand people who can speak the Cherokee language fluently. In order to preserve and revive the Cherokee language, Durbin Feeling lead the effort to not only saving and preserving the Cherokee language, but breathing new life into the Cherokee Language. We owe it to the legacy of Durbin feeling to carry on his work, and continue advocating for Native language revitalization. I commend Chairman Schatz and Vice Chairman Murkowski, for reintroducing this important bill.
