Legislature(2013 - 2014)BARNES 124
02/18/2014 08:00 AM House COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB216 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 216 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HB 216-OFFICIAL LANGUAGES OF THE STATE
8:09:05 AM
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX announced that the only order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 216, "An Act adding the Inupiaq, Siberian
Yupik, Central Alaskan Yup'ik, Alutiiq, Unangax, Dena'ina, Deg
Xinag, Holikachuk, Koyukon, Upper Kuskokwim, Gwich'in, Tanana,
Upper Tanana, Tanacross, Hän, Ahtna, Eyak, Tlingit, Haida, and
Tsimshian languages as official languages of the state."
8:09:22 AM
REPRESENTATIVE JONATHON KREISS-TOMKINS, Alaska State
Legislature, speaking as one of the joint prime sponsors of
HB 216, explained that the legislation makes all Alaska Native
languages official languages of the State of Alaska, which is a
hugely important symbolic step. The legislation is the result
of the work of many people statewide who have been working to
preserve and revitalize Alaska Native languages statewide. The
grass roots effort, he pointed out, is evident [by those present
today]. He noted that HB 216 doesn't carry the force of law
that the 1998 voter initiative that created English as the
official language. Although the legislation before the
committee today won't require printing of documents in 22
different languages, he opined that it will be the harbinger of
much more substantive efforts. In fact, many of those involved
in Alaska Native languages are considering legislation that
would make it easier for bilingual teachers to teach in K-12
schools.
8:11:28 AM
REPRESENTATIVE FOSTER related his full support for HB 216 and
noted that he is a co-sponsor of the legislation. He then asked
whether there has been any opposition from any Alaska Native
groups.
REPRESENTATIVE KREISS-TOMKINS replied no, adding that HB 216 was
developed through a grassroots effort that included
representatives from the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN),
First Alaskans, and Alaska Language Center within the University
of Alaska. Therefore, he characterized the legislation as the
result of a very inclusive process that was a collective effort.
In fact, he said he has yet to hear any opposition from anyone.
8:12:26 AM
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX asked if HB 216 includes all Alaska Native
languages in the state.
REPRESENTATIVE KREISS-TOMKINS replied yes, noting that the
sponsors worked with the Alaska Native Language Center as well
as the staff at Legislative Legal Services in order to ensure
the correct and proper diacritics and proper character marks.
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX recalled attending a reception at Sealaska
during which a gentleman from Kodiak was honored and introduced
as Sugpiaq. She related that she had never heard of the Sugpiaq
Alaska Native group, which she assumed spoke the Sugpiaq
language that is not included in HB 216.
8:14:01 AM
FREDDIE OLIN, Staff, Representative Jonathon Kreiss-Tomkins,
Alaska State Legislature, clarified that Alutiiq is the informal
reference to Sugpiaq, which is the technical name for the
Alutiiq language. He related that the Russians referred to the
Sugpiaq as Alutiiq, which was a plural term for Aleut.
Therefore, there was confusion with regard to Sugpiaq and Aleut.
He further clarified that Alutiiq and Sugpiaq are the same.
8:15:12 AM
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX opened public testimony, with the caveat that
witnesses would be limited to three minutes.
8:16:09 AM
GLENN WAGHIYI, spoke in his Native tongue of Siberian Yupik.
8:19:18 AM
SELINA EVERSON, Alaska Native Sisterhood, began by bidding the
committee good morning in Tlingit, "Yak'eyi Ts'ùtàt". Ms.
Everson stressed that her language, once forbidden to be spoken,
is very important. She related support for HB 216 from ANS. She
then emphasized that passage of HB 216 will sustain Alaska
Native people as well as their way of life and culture in
Alaska.
8:20:36 AM
REPRESENTATIVE DRUMMOND began by speaking in Greek. She then
informed the committee that she is a Greek American who was born
in New York City and didn't speak English until she entered
kindergarten. Language, she opined, is such a core value of
every ethnicity, and therefore she is pleased that HB 216 is
before the committee. She also announced that she supports
HB 216.
8:21:23 AM
LANCE TWITCHELL, Assistant Professor, Alaska Native Languages,
University of Alaska Southeast, provided the committee with
handouts, including his written testimony, maps of estimated
number of speakers remaining for individual Alaska Native
languages, and [a map] of the estimated number of speakers in
Tlingit communities. Mr. Twitchell then provided the following
testimony in Tlingit with the English translation [original
punctuation provided]:
sh yaa awoodinéix'i. gunalchéesh áwé ldakát yeewháan.
self-respecting people. thank you, yes, all of you.
ax twoowú yak'éi haa yoo x'atánkx'i daat woosh
x'awtula. átgi.
i feel good that we are talking about our languages.
haa daséigu áyá. haa daséigu áyá.
this is our life-breath. this is our life-breath.
haa dachxánx'i yán yís áyá x' akkwatáan.
for our grandchildren, i am going to speak.
yadál áyá. yee gu.aa yáx x' wán. yadál áyá.
it is a heavy thing. have strength and courage. it is
a heavy thing.
ax séek' x akkwatée yeedát, Shgaté:
i am going to imitate my clan-daughter, Shgaté (Jessie
Johnnie):
tlax wáa sá x'alitseen yá Lingít yoo x'atángi,
how incredibly valuable our language is,
hél dáanaa a yáx koogéi wudu.óowu.
no money, not any amount, can buy it.
yéi áyá. yéi áyá.
this is how it is. this is how it is.
haa dachxánx'i sáani yís woosh yéi jigaxtooneí.
for our little grandchildren, we are going to work
together.
hél yagaxtoosax'aakw.
we are not going to die off.
hél yagaxtoosax'aakw.
we are not going to die off.
gunalchéesh.
thank you.
MR. TWITCHELL then paraphrased from the following written
testimony [original punctuation provided]:
We are not an English-only state, and we should
never tolerate the embarrassment of deciding to be
one. For over ten thousand years there have been
other languages here, and they are still here today.
We are right here wondering why some languages, and
therefore cultures, feel the need to state a sense of
superiority. This is not a fight with each other, or
against the perceived erosion of the English language.
This is a fight against death, and it is a death that
we can avoid if we so choose.
I am here to testify in support of House Bill
216: Official Languages of the State of Alaska. I am
not exaggerating when I say this: we have an absolute
crisis on our hands. Michael Krauss, an expert on
world languages, Alaska Native languages in
particular, predicts that half of the world's 6-7,000
languages will be gone in the next century. In order
for that to happen, a language will have to die every
two weeks. I urge you to keep this in mind as you do
all that is in your power to reverse language shift,
to counter genocidal policies and tendencies.
Alaska Native languages are not going to die
anymore.
In the past ten years we have seen the last
fluent speakers of two Alaska Native languages pass
away. Marie Smith once said, of being the last fluent
Eyak speaker, "I talk to the walls, I talk to the TV,
I talk to God, but no one talks back."
We are going to talk back. We are going to work
collectively and see how simple it is to begin undoing
generations of racist polices, how simple and
worthwhile it is to revitalize an entire state.
You are exactly the ones to do this. You have to
realize that there is no tomorrow or next week, but
there is right now. The average Alaska Native language
has fewer than 1,000 speakers, and the vast majority
of them are over seventy years old. Now is the perfect
time for equality.
This is the today we have been waiting for. If we
look back at the troubled history of contact in
Alaska, and if we can do so without seeing it as a
glorious conquest of untamed lands, then we will see
that we have been set up to do exactly this kind of
work. We are destined to fix the problems that plague
our state.
The most important thing to know about Alaska
Native languages is that people did not choose to stop
speaking them. Our grandparents were beaten as
children for speaking them. Our parents were
humiliated for knowing them, and then for not knowing
them. We have weathered incredible waves of genocide
from the most powerful nation ever conceived, and we
are still here, ten thousand years standing.
But these languages are dying right now. I see
dying languages and escalating suicide rates and
think: how can those things not be connected? I see
the end result of cultural genocide and think: how can
we just decide to accept this?
There is no magic solution for language loss. But
there is the promise of unity, and recognizing that
solutions exist: an official language act, immersion
schools, language nests, communities that embrace
Alaska Native languages.
I sit here as your peer. I sit here as your
equal. We may speak different languages, but mine is
just as valuable, just as necessary, and just as
useful as yours. I urge you to push this bill forward
and make us the only other state in America to
officially recognize the value, the beauty and
necessity, of indigenous languages.
In the name of unity and equality I thank you for
your time, and wish you strength of spirit.
Gunalchéesh.
8:26:53 AM
REPRESENTATIVE FOSTER highlighted the use of the terms "crisis"
and "suicides," which he said underscored the need for HB 216.
He then recalled the committee's February 13, 2014, hearing
regarding suicide prevention and the Qungasvik project in which
language is used to provide Alaska Natives a shared and common
purpose and bond. Therefore, he opined that having a language
that the Alaska Native community can be proud of and the entire
state supports has far-reaching consequences.
8:27:56 AM
REPRESENTATIVE DRUMMOND asked if any other state recognizes
indigenous languages.
MR. TWITCHELL replied Hawaii.
8:28:23 AM
LAWRENCE KAPLAN, Director, Alaska Native Language Center,
University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), informed the committee
that he is a Greek American whose field of study is Alaska
Native languages. In fact, he noted that he has worked with the
Inupiaq language for about 40 years. Mr. Kaplan then expressed
the Alaska Native Language Center's support for HB 216. He told
the committee that 11 of Alaska's Native languages are in the
Athabascan or Dene family and 2 more are in the larger Na-Dene
group, and 4 other languages are in the Eskimo group that are
closely related to the Aleut language. The Haida and Tsimshian
languages are found in Southeast Alaska. Anchorage and
Fairbanks are Athabascan areas with the Dena'ina language
originally in Anchorage and Tanana language originally in
Fairbanks. Mr. Kaplan clarified that these are all different
languages, not merely dialects, such that even related languages
are usually very distinct. For instance, although Inupiaq and
Yup'ik are certainly related languages, their relationship is
comparable in distance to that of English and German and thus
they are clearly separate languages.
MR. KAPLAN opined that the difficult history of Alaska's Native
languages has led to a decline in their usage and resulted in
their current state of endangerment. Some languages such as Deg
Hit'an, which is found in the villages of Anvik and Shageluk,
have only a handful of elderly speakers remaining. The largest
and most vital language, Central Alaskan Yup'ik, in Southwest
Alaska has about 10,000 speakers. Although 10,000 speakers
sound like a lot, it's only half of the Yup'ik population. The
Eyak language of Cordova received national and international
recognition when it lost its last speaker a few years ago.
Dena'ina, the original language of the Cook Inlet Anchorage
area, may have a couple of dozen speakers remaining while the
Tanana language of the Interior Fairbanks area has even less
than that. Many Alaskans, he emphasized, are concerned about
the precipitous decline in Alaska Native language use and would
encourage the languages to be supported, valued, and taught so
that they last and continue in the future. The cultural,
historical, and scientific knowledge that is closely tied to the
Alaska Native languages is valued by many who want to learn from
those who inhabited Alaska for generations prior to statehood.
Granting official status to Alaska Native languages would send a
positive message to Alaska's population that these languages are
valuable, deserve support and equal respect and status with the
predominant language of the state, English. Although symbolic,
official status would be very meaningful to a large portion of
Alaska's population. He pointed out that in Hawaii the Hawaiian
Native language is co-official with English as is French in
Louisiana. Passage of HB 216 would place Alaska out front of
most states in terms of support for indigenous languages. The
Alaska Native Language Center, he informed the committee, was
founded by state legislation in 1972 and continues to provide
support for Alaska Native languages through research, teaching,
and service. The publications, writing systems, and archival
documentation developed at the Alaska Native Language Center
provide a strong foundation for official language status. Mr.
Kaplan related that the Alaska Native Language Center urges
members to work toward passage of this important language.
8:33:20 AM
REPRESENTATIVE DRUMMOND spoke in Greek to Mr. Kaplan about his
Greek mother who is from New York, where there are a plethora of
languages and immigrants. Representative Drummond related that
she has a great deal of respect for indigenous languages and is
pleased to support HB 216.
8:34:46 AM
ANNETTE EVANS-SMITH, President/CEO, Alaska Native Heritage
Center; Chair, Alaska Native Language Preservation & Advisory
Council (ANLPAC), introduced herself in the Alaska Native
languages, ..., of her parents who are from South Nanek and
Bristol Bay and Rampart in the Yukon as follows: .... She
related that the Alaska Native Language Preservation & Advisory
Council voted unanimously to support HB 216. In fact, ANLPAC
spent the last year-and-a-half obtaining public testimony from
across Alaska. She highlighted that many people have expressed
a strong desire to learn their Alaska Native languages.
Furthermore, Alaska's Native languages are critical to the
state's history and heritage; "they hold the DNA of our
cultures." Although this is a symbolic measure, it's an
important gesture for the state government to acknowledge the
importance of Alaska Native languages. As mentioned, 19 of the
state's 20 languages that represent the state are listed by
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) as critical or severely endangered. Although over the
last 25 years there has been a tremendous amount of loss, she
related her belief that language loss is not inevitable or
irreversible. Evidence illustrates that when youth are
connected to their culture and languages, they perform better in
school and make better life choices. Therefore, there is
tremendous success between language programs and promoting
health and wellness for indigenous people. The aforementioned
is observed on a daily basis by the Alaska Native Heritage
Center. For example, the Alaska Native Heritage Center operates
a national award-winning high school program that has an
approximately 80 percent graduation rate as compared to a 54
percent graduation rate for Alaska Native youth in the Anchorage
School District not served by the aforementioned program.
Furthermore, when asked by the Alaska Native Heritage Center,
Alaska Native youth have said the top two things they desire are
time with elders and to learn their language. Therefore, the
Alaska Native Heritage Center has begun to weave language into
its program. Additionally, the Alaska Native Heritage Center
runs an after school middle school program for at-risk students
that has been successful in retaining at-risk middle school
students so that they move and advance to the next grade level.
This legislation, she opined, would demonstrate to the states
and Alaskans that Alaska greatly values its diversity. In fact,
the passage of Senate Bill 130 [in the 27th Alaska State
Legislature] that created the language council illustrates the
state respects Alaska Native languages. In closing, Ms. Evans-
Smith related that both the Alaska Native Heritage Center and
ANLPAC support HB 216.
8:38:49 AM
ELIZABETH MEDICINE CROW, First Alaskans Institute, began by
informing the committee of her Haida and Tlingit lineage in both
the Haida and Tlingit languages. She then related that when
Mona Jackson, her Haida grandmother, was sent to boarding school
and later to university, she retained her language by speaking
Haida to her mother in her mind, which kept her strong, focused,
and healthy. Her language and faith were her pillars of
strength, connection, and resilience. She returned home and
taught in Kake city schools for over 30 years. Ms. Crow
characterized her grandmother as a tough and loving lady whose
language was the cornerstone of her ability to do so much. All
Alaska Native peoples and others should have the right and the
ability to understand and treasure the Alaska Native languages.
Ms. Crow then informed the committee that the First Alaskans
Institute, a statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to
advancing Alaska Native people, strongly supports HB 216.
Moreover, the First Alaskans Institute is excited to observe the
bipartisan support HB 216 has received. She then thanked the
joint prime sponsors and co-sponsors of HB 216 for their vision
and understanding of the necessity of this legislation, which is
a simple and reasonable approach to this crisis for which time
is of the essence. Unlike other world languages spoken in
Alaska, Alaska Native languages aren't spoken anywhere else. In
closing, Ms. Crow urged support for HB 216 from all Alaska
legislators and pointed out that passage of HB 216 will send a
strong message that Alaskans are united in ensuring that
Alaska's Native languages don't die.
8:45:09 AM
BEVERLY TOOLIE, speaking in her Alaska Native language of
Siberian Yupik, related her Yupik name, that she is from
Savoonga, and proud to be from St. Lawrence Island.
8:46:12 AM
CHELSEA MIKLANOOK, speaking in her Native language of Siberian
Yupik, told the committee her Yupik name, that she is from
Savoonga, is happy to be here, and is proud to be a Siberian
Yupik and speak Siberian Yupik.
8:46:59 AM
REPRESENTATIVE FOSTER asked if Alaska Native languages are
taught in the Savoonga school.
MS. TOOLIE reported that the language classes stopped within
the last couple of years. In further response to Representative
Foster, Ms. Toolie said she would want to take the language
classes if they were re-introduced in the schools.
MS. MIKLANOOK interjected that their grandparents speak to them
in their Alaska Native language at home. In further response to
Representative Foster, Ms. Miklanook said she would want to take
the language classes if they were re-introduced in the schools.
In response to Co-Chair LeDoux, Ms. Miklanook said they spoke
their Alaska Native language before they spoke English.
8:47:48 AM
REPRESENTATIVE DRUMMOND asked why the Alaska Native language is
no longer taught in the Savoonga school.
TERESA HAMILTON, Teacher, answered that there is no Alaska
Native language class in the school because there is no one
there to teach it since the Native speaker choose not to teach
it any longer. Efforts are being made to reinstate the class.
In further response to Representative Drummond, Ms. Hamilton
confirmed that there is funding to pay for the position.
8:48:50 AM
CO-CHAIR NAGEAK related his experience during an exchange
regarding the establishment of a science program that took him
and two others to St. Lawrence Island. He recalled that the
Yupik residents, even the children, spoke Siberian Yupik well.
He further recalled that it was an exciting time. He encouraged
the youth to continue to speak their language because no one
tells them they can't speak their language.
8:51:17 AM
MS. HAMILTON clarified that although the Siberian Yupik language
is no longer taught at the high school in Savoonga, there are
Siberian Yupik paraprofessionals that teach elementary and
middle school classes that reinforce language on a regular basis
within the curriculum. There is also specific time to teach
Siberian Yupik in the middle and lower grades, only the high
school class is not functioning at this time.
8:52:23 AM
MIGUEL ROHRBACHER began by noting that he is not an Alaska
Native. He then emphasized that HB 216 is important for all
Alaskans, not just Alaska Natives. In fact, he informed the
committee that this past year he has been a student in a Tlingit
language class at the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS). The
Tlingit language class has been important to his life and he has
observed how integral the language is to understanding the
Tlingit culture as well as the Alaska Native culture. The
language embodies the values and priorities of the culture.
Therefore, he encouraged the legislature to recognize the
aforementioned by making this small gesture with HB 216 to
elevate/recognize Alaska Native languages as having the same
status as English.
8:54:54 AM
RICHARD ANDERSON, speaking as a returning student to UAS who is
taking the Tlingit language class, stressed that HB 216 is
really important. As a Baby Boomer, he recalled the racial
strife in the 1960s in the Lower 48. After being in Alaska for
about five years, Mr. Anderson said he has grown to love many in
Alaska, particularly many of the [Alaska] Native people in the
area. He characterized his experience as almost life-altering.
Learning the language of other cultures, he opined, breaks down
barriers. By learning the Alaska Native language of the area,
he opined that he has become a richer and more respectful person
who is aware of others' situations. Language defines culture,
and therefore he characterized support for HB 216 as the right
and moral thing to do. He mentioned that there is an enormous
amount of support for HB 216 and that learning the language and
being culturally aware could help with some of the negative
aspects [Alaska Natives] are experiencing as it would enhance
their sense of self in terms of their past, present, and future.
9:00:54 AM
REPRESENTATIVE FOSTER remarked that he was glad to see the room
is filled with Alaska Natives and non-Alaska Natives and to hear
from both why this legislation is important, which he surmised
to mean the state should support HB 216.
9:02:23 AM
JOHN HANLON told the committee his Tlingit name. He then
informed the committee that he didn't have the opportunity to
speak Tlingit when he was growing up and is a beginning language
student who is amazed how much he has learned in the past year.
He said that HB 216 is encouraging as it encourages him to
continue on the path that he has decided to follow.
Furthermore, he now knows from where he came and who he is,
including clan house specific information. He opined that it
doesn't matter whether one learns from voice recordings or
written text because the underlying message is to treat one
another with respect. He opined that had he grown up that way,
his life would've been better for it. In closing, he related
his support for HB 216.
9:05:57 AM
ESTHER GREEN began by stating her Yup'ik name. She informed the
committee that she was originally from Nunapitchuk, but during
the tuberculosis epidemic she was forced to move to Bethel. Ms.
Green emphasized that all [Alaska Native] languages are
important and should stay and be taught. She further informed
the committee that for many years she was a bilingual teacher in
the Lower Kuskokwim School District. Teaching language really
highlights that language and culture go together and can't be
separated, she stressed. She expressed the belief that it's
helpful to teach language with culture, a way of life.
9:10:35 AM
DIANE MCEACHERN echoed some of the statements made by other non-
Alaska Natives. As an Alaskan citizen, she said it's not
acceptable to her that her fellow humans are not supported as
fully as she enjoys in terms of their language, culture, and
spirituality. She then related her wholehearted support of
HB 216.
9:11:53 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HERRON related that when he was elected to the
House of Representatives in 2008 he was in the Lower Kuskokwim
District, which is 89 percent Alaska Native. He further related
that although he has lived in Bethel for 41 years, his wife's
family has lived in the area for [much longer]. He noted that
both of his wife's grandmothers were Alaska Natives who married
non-Alaska Native traders. Although his wife's parents could
speak the language, the family lived during the time when they
were discouraged from using their Native tongue and the children
were not taught their Alaska Native language. Furthermore,
since the family was half Alaska Native, the Alaska Native
community of Bethel treated them as white while the white
community considered them Alaska Native, which resulted in them
living in a sort of nether world. Since Representative Herron's
wife didn't learn Yup'ik, she couldn't teach their children the
language. However, their youngest daughter learned her Alaska
Native language herself. As Ms. Green indicated, many teach the
Yup'ik language for the future. In fact, there is the Yup'ik
Immersion School in Bethel for grades 1st-6th. He recalled that
a non-Alaska Native friend of his daughter attended the Yup'ik
Immersion School and he ultimately became the valedictorian of
his high school in Bethel and gave his entire speech in Yup'ik.
Representative Herron opined that he lives in a rich part of
Alaska in terms of language, which is why he felt it's important
for HB 216 to become law.
9:16:36 AM
KONRAD FRANK, speaking in his Alaska Native language of Tlingit,
said: "yak'ei tsootáat Ch'a déi xhát nei.oo Lingít shtoo
xháltoow Lingit xh'eina'xh yoo xha't duwasaakw. Cha'ak naxha't
site. Kaagwaantaan aya xha't. xho'otsnoowoo da'xh aya" Mr.
Frank then asked if members understood what he said. He opined
that was what it was like for his grandmother in school where
she was only allowed to speak and be spoken to in English. He
clarified that he wasn't trying to point fingers or blame guilt
but rather make a point as to the importance of HB 216. He
translated his Tlingit greeting, as follows: "Good morning. It
is good to see each and every one of you here today. Please
forgive me if I have said anything offensive or wrong for I am
still learning my language." He then informed the committee of
his Tlingit name, Shak'sha'ani E'esh, and that he comes from
Kootznahoo, Angoon. Mr. Frank then expressed his desire to help
committee members further understand what Alaska Native
languages mean to Alaska Natives. He highlighted the following
phrases that people often say: "Take care."; "I love you so
much my grandchildren."; "Your mother says I spoil you.". He
then said this is how Alaska Natives feel when they are able to
say those words in their Alaska Native tongue: "Jink'wat
sheeltín. Kunáxh ixhsixhán axh dachxhanz'Iya'n. I tláa
yaawakua, kúdáx i eex kei xat tula.aanch. énk'wx i guxsatee"
Although it doesn't mean [saying] it in English means that
Alaska Natives love their children any less or any more than
others but rather saying I love you [in the Alaska Native
language] holds a thousand years of history, his history.
Furthermore, the language is essential to who Alaska Natives are
as a culture. Therefore, for the state to recognize Alaska
Native languages, the state is recognizing an important part of
Alaska Native people. Mr. Frank said:
Diversity is a beautiful thing. Every language has
something to offer. Ideas and perspectives that may
not be as clear in English. Not to say English is not
a beautiful language or has nothing to offer, because
it does. What I am trying to get at, is that being
bilingual or learning another language can create more
available perspectives. This bill, if passed, would
recognize that diversity, as well as our ancestors who
have spoken these languages before us. This is why I
support this bill and hope it moves forward.
Gunalcheesh axh'eit yisa axh'ee, Thank you for
listening to me.
9:21:38 AM
BYRON CHARLES began by thanking the committee in Tlingit,
Gunalcheesh, and then related his Tlingit name and noted that he
belongs to the Douglas (indisc.) killer whale clan and eagle
clan on his mother's side. He said he is proud to hear the
support for HB 216, which is long overdue. He emphasized that
it's good to see progress in learning and maintaining Alaska
Native languages to keep them alive. He encouraged the witness
from the university to keep up the good work and applauded the
committee members for listening. He informed the committee of a
recent national survey that found only 36 percent of the
population surveyed in 2013 knew their First Amendment rights.
He then discussed the importance of interpretation. He said
that HB 216 would serve as a positive tool in much of Alaska,
particularly in the largest growing industry, the tourism
industry, in Alaska.
9:27:49 AM
DELLA CHENEY spoke in support of HB 216. She then introduced
herself in her Alaska Native language of Haida. She reviewed
her lineage, specifying that she is an eagle who belongs to the
hummingbird people. As a Haida woman born in 1947, she attended
elementary and high school in Kake where she learned to speak a
little Spanish as it was a requirement. She then attended and
graduated from the University of Hawaii Hilo and was a fellow at
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Ms. Cheney related
that she participated in programs that researched and learned
about stories of families and communities and the importance of
the aforementioned, including the language, to the children.
She told the committee that her mother and grandmother were
Haida and spoke Haida and her father was Tlingit. Although she
didn't learn either Haida or Tlingit, she listened to them and
can understand the majority of what someone says in either
language. In 1969/1970 at the University of Alaska Fairbanks,
she started to learn the language from Ms. Soboleff. She then
moved to Southeast Alaska where there were no teachers of the
language. Although her mother spoke the language, she didn't
speak it to her children as her mother attended boarding school
and was told not to speak her Alaska Native language.
Furthermore, she said her parents wanted her to learn English in
order to live in the new world. She said she was thankful for
that because now her youngest daughter is an attorney and her
oldest daughter is a doctor of leadership and change. Ms.
Cheney related that she is a survivor of cancer who had to learn
the language of cancer and taking care of oneself and is now
hoping to return to learning Haida. With regard to learning
Haida, Ms. Cheney highlighted that it's not just the words, but
the connections and relations to others and her community that
is the most important part of understanding who one is.
9:33:55 AM
TONI WEBER (PH) began by stating her Haida name. She informed
the committee that she has been working in the field of
substance abuse in Juneau since 2009. She noted that she offers
and implements cultural activities in her groups at the
SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC). The
cultural connection, she opined, helps people heal. Ms. Weber
attributed the high rate of suicide amongst Alaska Natives to
the difficulty in finding a sense of belonging and identity in
the Western world. She opined that passage of HB 216 would
return dignity and a sense of belonging to Alaska Natives.
9:35:35 AM
CHARLENE CLEARY related that her family is from Tanacross, which
is located in the Tok area. She urged support for HB 216 as
it's important. She told the committee that although she speaks
her Alaska Native language, some in her family and community
didn't learn their Alaska Native language because they weren't
allowed. She expressed the desire to pass on her Alaska Native
language to her grandkids. She also expressed the need for her
Alaska Native language to be taught in school. In closing, Ms.
Cleary urged the committee's support for HB 216.
9:37:52 AM
DEWEY HOFFMAN began by relating his name in his Alaska Native
language of Denaakke. Continuing to speak in Denaakke, he told
the committee that he is originally from Ruby, but now lives in
Anchorage. In Denaakke he identified his parents. He then
informed the committee that he originally began learning
Denaakke, Koyukon Athabascan, in 2007. He said he noticed the
impact of learning Denaakke with himself and his own family.
Although he said learning Denaakke was the most challenging
language of the many he has learned, it has been the most
meaningful. In fact, he has begun to find little ways in which
to integrate Denaakke into his everyday life. Mr. Hoffman
related that he is currently a Masters student in the College of
Education at the University of Alaska Anchorage and is reviewing
ways, through policy change, in which to facilitate language
learning in formal settings as well as at home. Mr. Hoffman
characterized HB 216 as part of the aforementioned, and
therefore he said he fully supported any effort to advance
policy that facilitates learning [Alaska Native languages]. He
echoed earlier testimony that languages are a powerful tool that
individuals and communities can use to become healthy,
functional, and value-driven. When healthy communities are
promoted, increases in funding or policies for incarceration or
other punishments aren't necessary as the [communities and their
people] will be stronger than ever. Mr. Hoffman opined that the
aforementioned can be achieved. He added that learning a
language is just like CPR training, obtaining a Ph.D., or
driver's training in that anyone can learn and anyone can teach.
For example, there was training for Eyak for which the main
instructor was from France. In conclusion, Mr. Hoffman
expressed his desire for Alaska Native languages to be healthy
and thrive.
9:42:53 AM
DAVID KATZEEK began his testimony with a brief introduction in
Tlingit that began as follows: "Most noble, very precious
children of the earth ...." He said that the language he just
spoke is an Ancient language that has a lot of knowledge and
wisdom. For example, his people spoke with one another by
referring to each other as "Precious Children of the Earth." He
echoed earlier comments that any spoken language develops
community, which can be observed in sports and education,
activities. Some challenges arise when a language hasn't been
used and acknowledged because it's as if the community of people
aren't being recognized, acknowledged, or appreciated. Millions
of dollars, he pointed out, have been spent by the U.S. to
estimate what past indigenous speakers spoke about. Mr. Katzeek
said he was certain members hear the voice of oil, trees, fish,
and resources. However, he emphasized that now members are
hearing the voice of the people [and their request] for help.
This is a great opportunity to maintain [languages] that are
over 10,000 years old. Therefore, he encouraged the committee
to hear the voice/cry because a lot of education and wisdom in
the ancient languages. "Why not preserve it? Why not keep it?
Why not be known for hearing the voice of a people of long
ago?," he questioned. He noted that the words he spoke in
Tlingit were ancient words regarding who he is that were passed
down through the generations. Every human being, he opined,
needs to know who they are and who they represent.
9:48:51 AM
MARY NUNUWAK [NOONGWOOK?] began with a brief introduction in her
Alaska Native language. She explained that when she first went
to school, she didn't know any English besides the words yes and
no. She said that she is a firm believer that all students
should learn other languages at a very early age as it broadens
one's world view, takes away prejudices, and provides a broader
perspective. She then said the earlier apologies by the non-
Alaska Native witnesses for being non-Alaska Native wasn't
necessary as no one should apologize for who they are; everyone
has something to offer and it only requires meeting in the
middle, which she opined will result in more getting done.
Drawing from her mother's experience, she opined that one
doesn't always have to learn from formal schooling as everyone
has the capability to learn things on their own. She then
related her belief that reading is the best way to learn. She
noted that she is very good in western sciences and traditional
knowledge, which is a form of science that never fails as it has
been passed down for generations. In closing, she related
support for HB 216 and expressed the need to teach one another
and use education as it is the best tool to solve problems.
9:56:36 AM
MAGARET ACTIVE related her name in her Alaska Native language of
Yungtun, which is also known as Yup'ik. She then thanked all
who support HB 216. She told the committee that her grandmother
only spoke Yungtun in her house, even to those who didn't speak
Yungtun, which she believes was her grandmother's way of
teaching that everyone needs to be treated with respect and
dignity and that language is an important part of a person. In
the Kongiganak area the bible is written in Yup'ik, for which
she thanked the missionaries. She noted that there is
literature printed in Yup'ik in Germany, which she felt
embarrassed about because it wasn't printed in her home country.
She also recalled that her grandfather had literature written in
Yungtun using the Russian alphabet.
9:58:55 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HERRON, recalling Representative Kreiss-Tomkins'
remarks that HB 216 is a symbolic gesture/effort, expressed hope
that the legislation is not just symbolic but rather an
acknowledgement and recognition of the existence, validity,
legality, and acceptance [of Alaska Native languages].
9:59:43 AM
REPRESENTATIVE FOSTER pointed out that HB 216 is an effort at
the state level, and therefore questioned how local communities,
tribes, and Native corporations could be encouraged to support
the recognition of Alaska Native languages. He noted that the
Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) has passed a resolution that
would support Alaska Native languages. He further questioned
how local support could be developed to place Alaska Native
languages in schools and spoken by more people. He clarified
that the aforementioned were questions for the public to ponder
in terms of its part in this state level effort. Representative
Foster recalled Representative Kreiss-Tomkins' comments that
previous efforts to pass legislation similar to HB 216 failed,
but the difference is that HB 216 wouldn't have the force of
law. He requested that Representative Kreiss-Tomkins expand on
the aforementioned.
REPRESENTATIVE KREISS-TOMKINS clarified that there hasn't been
language offered similar to that in HB 216. However, there was
a 1998 voter initiative that set the precedent for language law
in Alaska. This legislation would add to the official languages
of the state without the logistical details of printing
materials in 22 different languages. In regard to
Representative Herron's comments, Representative Kreiss-Tomkins
characterized HB 216 as profound and symbolic in its importance
and in terms of change. He then said that he hasn't felt any
more of a Representative and a sense of humility than today
because this legislation belongs to everyone.
10:02:17 AM
CO-CHAIR NAGEAK provided the following comments in his Alaska
Native language. He highlighted that he is the only one in the
legislature who is fluent in his/her Alaska Native language,
Inupiaq. He said that he speaks Inupiaq on a daily basis when
he is with his peers who speak the language. In fact, he noted
that he spoke Inupiaq exclusively until he went to school at the
age of six. Although those who spoke their Alaska Native
language were punished, the cold climate and the fact that the
Lower 48 transplanted teachers didn't go outside during recess
afforded them the opportunity to speak Inupiaq outside during
recess. His generation, he charged, was the last to speak their
Alaska Native language fluently and is complicit in not keeping
the language alive for future generations. Therefore, they must
change the course and speak to their youth in their Alaska
Native languages until all are fluent in their Alaska Native
language. He stressed that one shouldn't make fun of youth who
make mistakes when learning their Alaska Native language. He
noted his support of HB 216 and encouraged all his colleagues to
support the legislation as well.
10:07:41 AM
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX closed public testimony.
10:07:51 AM
CO-CHAIR NAGEAK moved to report HB 216 out of committee with
individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal note.
There being no objection, HB 216 was reported from the House
Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB 216 ver U.pdf |
HCRA 2/18/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 216 |
| HB 216 Sponsor Statement.pdf |
HCRA 2/18/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 216 |
| HB 216 Sectional Summary.pdf |
HCRA 2/18/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 216 |
| HB 216 fiscal Note.pdf |
HCRA 2/18/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 216 |
| HB 216 ANLC Letter of Support.pdf |
HCRA 2/18/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 216 |
| HB 216 ANLPAC Letter of Support.pdf |
HCRA 2/18/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 216 |
| HB 216 Supporting Document Twitchel Empire Op-Ed.pdf |
HCRA 2/18/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 216 |