Community Coordination Program Demonstrates Possibilities of Instruction in Native Languages

By Colleen Billiot, Communications Specialist, Administration for Native Americans

Many students heading back to school may be signing up in foreign language classes to learn how to speak with people of other cultures. The Administration for Native American’s new language demonstration program works to ensure that students can learn to speak with others in their own community. The Native Language Community Coordination (NLCC) program will support Native communities to integrate stand-alone language programs into their broader educational system, so they can offer Native language instruction from preschool through post-secondary education.

Over $1.8 million in FY 2016 funds have been awarded to four tribes and one college.

• Aaniiih Nakoda College
• Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma
• Kiowa Tribe in Oklahoma
• Sun’aq Tribe of Alaska
• Yurok Tribe of California

They will create site-based educational programs and use evidence based strategies to integrate Native language and educational services. The cooperative agreement awards are expected to be renewed every year for five years.

NLCC will build upon the successes of previous project-based language awards. The program offers grantees the time, funding, training, and resources to develop a sustainable plan to provide education in their Native language. Since the program funds cooperative agreements, grantees will work closely with ANA and each other to share knowledge and best practices.

This funding can lead to great things for these communities and the ones that will follow their example. Can you image a class president giving his graduation speech in Alutiiq? Or a college sophomore studying physics in Kiowa?

The funding of these projects was a long time in the making. ANA Commissioner Lillian Sparks Robinson pushed for the creation of NLCC after noticing a trend when she visited grantees and other Native communities. “I visited several Native communities all over Indian Country and in the Pacific and…in Alaska and have noticed that a lot of times, the community is making a strong effort in language [preservation] but there might be several components that aren’t always coordinated or able to collaborate. Not for lack of trying or for one thing but really just for lack of time and resources, not being able to spend the time necessary to get all the right people into the same room and talk about how a community might be able to support education for a young person starting in their early education program continuing through K-12 and then through a higher education setting.”

But success for this demonstration program won’t just mean an unbroken continuum of Native language instruction from childhood to college. It would mean improving the lives of Native youth. Native language instruction has been shown to positively influence Native students’ academic success, school attendance, and career readiness. A Native language educational system would also incorporate aspects of Native culture and practice that further instill a sense of pride and self-identity in students.

We are excited to help all our new language grantees kick off their projects. Use of Native language builds identity and will encourage participating communities as they move toward social unity and self-sufficiency.