Are there schools in the US that teach Native American languages?.Where native american children can study in their native languages?.Many countries (Russia,China,Romania and etc) have language schools for ethnic minorities.
Are there schools in the US that teach Native American languages?.Where native american children can study in their native languages?.Many countries (Russia,China,Romania and etc) have language schools for ethnic minorities.
Comments
Yes, in Tahlequah, OK there’s an immersion school for Cherokee.
Yes! Especially since the NALA/ Native American Languages Act passed in the 90’s. I only know of the ones in WA state, Alaska, and Montana but I’m sure there are more.
They are usually private schools, run by the native nations themselves. There are lots of them all over the country.
Umatilla, OR. nixyaawii. It’s a charter reservation school
I grew up in Wisconsin right next to a reservation and there was a culture class at our school, but I don’t think it really taught the language. The school on the reservation went up to 8th grade before coming to my high school and the language was not taught there either. For reference, the tribe is Ojibwe.
Not always, because some of the populations were mistreated so badly that their original culture and language has been lost. It’s one of America’s original sins. But for the ones that remain you can certainly grow up on reservations (land set aside for native groups where they have many of the same rights as separate states or countries would get) and learn the language and culture in the schools there from parents and grandparents who are from that culture.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_reservation
Note: Canada has different terminology (First Nations) but has some similar systems. Mexico is more pluralistic than the US or Canada so there are millions of Mexicans that speak an additional language besides Spanish (6-7%), or identify as indigenous / from an original tribe (20%).
Many tribes have schools that teach their languages and programs to connect young people interested in learning with elders who speak fluently. Some have college level programs at their tribal colleges. They are generally programs and schools operated by the tribes themselves. I do not know of state or federally operated programs but I am not native.