HB 254-ALASKA NATIVE LANGUAGE COUNCIL  [Contains brief mention of SB 130.] 9:19:58 AM CHAIR LYNN announced that the final order of business was HOUSE BILL NO. 254, "An Act establishing the Alaska Native Language Preservation and Advisory Council and relating to the preservation, restoration, and revitalization of Alaska Native languages." 9:20:22 AM REPRESENTATIVE DICK, Alaska State Legislature, presented HB 254 as joint prime sponsor. He said his wife is the youngest fluent speaker of the Dena'ina dialect of the Athabascan Language, and she is 66. He said three years prior to coming to Juneau, he administered an endangered language grant for the Alaska Heritage Center. He related that he and his wife have done video documentation and have attempted to come up with strategies to help preserve the numerous languages of Native Alaskans. He talked about the complexity of the Athabascan Language, and indicated that he knows some of the Yupik language. He talked about the frequent use of onomatopoeia - where the words sounds like the things they reference. 9:25:49 AM REPRESENTATIVE DICK stated that in the past, Native people were beaten for speaking their language. He said that does not happen any longer; however, he related that when the legislature announced that English was the official language of Alaska, a Native friend of his said that hurt. He said the assumption is still being made that "everybody either is like us or wants to be like us," when there are unique people across the state. He said the bill is calling for a respectful dialogue. He said he thinks [the University of Alaska] is doing a fantastic job in preserving the languages, but not in revitalizing [the use of those languages]. 9:28:41 AM CHAIR LYNN noted that many languages have become extinct over the years, and he asked, "How does that relate to what you're trying to do here?" 9:29:51 AM REPRESENTATIVE DICK talked about the Jewish people not speaking their language for a long time and bringing it back, and the Irish people realizing that Gaelic was a part of who they were and making a concerted effort to bring it back. He related that a Frenchman single-handedly revived the Eyak Language - thought to be extinct - and is developing lessons for those in Alaska for whom that language is there heritage. Representative Dick said the proposed bill does not have a huge fiscal note, because it does not mandate curriculum in schools; however, passage of HB 254 would send the message that "we" accept partial responsibility for the disappearance of many of Alaska's languages. He stated his belief that even those who do not speak the languages would benefit from the dialogue that HB 254 would bring about. 9:32:15 AM REPRESENTATIVE JOHANSEN directed attention to language on page 2, beginning on line 17 through line 21, which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: In appointing the nonvoting members of the council, the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint a member of the bush caucus, if a bush caucus exists. In this subsection, "bush caucus" means a group of legislators that represents rural areas of the state. REPRESENTATIVE JOHANSEN said he thinks the language should be deleted, because there are members of the legislature who started out in rural areas and moved to urban areas and vice versa, and the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House should have the ability to select anyone of the legislative members based on who is best for the position. REPRESENTATIVE JOHANSEN pointed to the first sentence of subsection (c), on page 2, lines 13-15, which read as follows: (c) The governor shall appoint to the council established in this section five voting members who are professional language experts and who represent diverse regions of the state. REPRESENTATIVE JOHANSEN said he does not know whether or not there are enough language experts throughout the state to meet that requirement. 9:34:29 AM REPRESENTATIVE DICK named five cultural areas in Alaska: the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian of Southeast; Yupik; Alutiiq; Inupiat; and Athabascan. He stated his understanding that that is why the number five was chosen for voting members to be appointed by the governor. 9:35:08 AM ANNETTE KREITZER, Staff, Representative Alan Dick, Alaska State Legislature, indicated that there is an amendment in the committee packet that may address Representative Johansen's concerns by clarifying what a language expert is. She suggested that the committee could wait to speak more directly to the question until the amendment has been moved. REPRESENTATIVE JOHANSEN indicated that the language of the aforementioned amendment does not answer his question. REPRESENTATIVE JOHANSEN next asked what efforts have been made by the regional and village corporations regarding [Native languages]. 9:37:05 AM REPRESENTATIVE DICK said all the Native groups in Alaska have had this dialogue, and HB 254 is a way to unify those voices. He said even though the Native people talk to each other, "it's always the outside world that is ... passing legislation that's communicating something very different." REPRESENTATIVE JOHANSEN talked about the segregation of Caucasians and Native Alaskans in the past, and echoed Representative Dick's statement about the time in history when an entire generation of Alaska Natives was forced to speak only English. He said the government endorsed that through inaction, and he questioned implementing HB 254 through legislation, rather than promoting it through Native corporations, which "has more buy-in from ... the people." REPRESENTATIVE DICK deferred to those waiting to testify. 9:40:20 AM REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON directed attention to page 2, lines 30- 31, which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: (b) The governor shall make the appointments required by AS 44.33.530(c), added by sec. 2 of this Act, on or before December 1, 2012. REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON asked for confirmation that "this is going to be ... with permanent members that don't change, except for the legislators." MS. KREITZER answered yes. 9:41:40 AM REPRESENTATIVE PETERSEN commented that having lived in another culture and attempted to learn the language, he understands the important connection between a language and its culture. He expressed his hope that the proposed legislation gets the intended results, because he said he thinks the joint prime sponsor's intention is "well founded and ... from the heart." CHAIR LYNN questioned how a person can think without language, and remarked upon the varied effects of different words, even within one language. 9:43:46 AM MS. KREITZER, in response to Representative P. Wilson, said the intent of the proposed [Alaska Native Language Preservation and Advisory Council] is to view what is going on around the state and recommend cost-effective ways of supporting preservation, restoration, and revitalization of languages. She said it is a concept that the council would more broadly define, but the framework for it is clear in HB 254. In response to a follow-up question, she offered her understanding that the council would advise the governor and the legislature. 9:48:05 AM REPRESENTATIVE JOHANSEN pointed out that the answer to Representative P. Wilson's question is in [subsection (b)], on page 2 of the proposed legislation. REPRESENTATIVE DICK, in response to Representative Johansen, said the impetus for the bill came from 45 years of observation and many people who have expressed concern about the issue. He indicated that the names of those people are on a list. 9:49:37 AM DENISE MORRIS, President/CEO, First Alaskans Institute (FAI), testified in support of HB 254. She mentioned companion bill SB 130. She said FAI works to empower the indigenous people of the land and assists in making decisions that impact their lives. She stated that FAI believes the revitalization of Alaska Native languages is integral to "the restoration of healthy (indisc.) all Alaskans." She asked that the legislature support the creation of the Alaska Native Language Preservation and Advisory Council. She talked about languages having a home, and contributing to the unique nature of the state. MS. MORRIS reported that currently there are only about 120 fluent speakers of the (indisc.) language, and most of those people are over the age of 65. She talked about the connection between language and the land, and she said, "If we, as Alaskans, are to steward Alaska and our resources into the future for the common good and for the benefit of all Alaskans, then the language[s] of Alaska Native people are crucial to this endeavor." She said the proposed council will be able to look at what has been, is being, and should done, reorganize programs, and make recommendations to the governor, the legislature, and to other organizations that are also looking to revitalize Alaska Native languages. She stated that having people on the council who speak, teach, and continually learn their Native language and work for the preservation and revitalization of the language is crucial to the success of the council. 9:53:51 AM MS. MORRIS, regarding a previous question as to the involvement of Native corporations, said the Alaska Native Heritage Center, and regional, village, and tribal corporations have all been involved in some critical way in keeping Alaska Native languages alive. She said there are ongoing programs, and she mentioned an annual conference held by FAI, where elders and youth meet for language workshops. In closing, Ms. Morris asked the legislature to appropriate money for the establishment and ongoing activities of the council and to support HB 254. 9:55:42 AM ANNETTE EVANS SMITH, President/CEO, Alaska Native Heritage Center (ANHC), testified in support of HB 254. She first introduced herself speaking both Yupik and Koyukon Athabascan. She said her mother is from South Naknek and her father is from Rampart, on the Yukon River. She stated that many people believe that the "DNA" of one's culture exists within the language of that culture, and with the loss of that language comes the loss of a vast amount of traditional knowledge. She said [Alaska Native] languages tell the story of Alaska, and it is critical to take proactive measures immediately to strengthen [Alaska Native] languages, while those who speak the languages are still alive and the interest in revitalizing the languages is strong. MS. EVANS SMITH relayed that compelling evidence exists showing a link between indigenous children with strong, traditional cultures and linguistic backgrounds and academic success. She said children taking language and culture classes benefit by gaining stronger identities and an appreciation of their heritage. Conversely, American Indian and Alaska Native teenagers who are conflicted about their culture are at greater risk for engaging in alcohol and drug use and dropping out of school. She reported that the ANHC's nationally award-winning after school program and internship program have reached their highest graduation rates in history. She said the graduation rate for Alaska Native students in the Anchorage School District is approximately 43 percent, while the children in the ANHC's program graduate at a rate of 83 percent. Ms. Evans Smith stated, "At our core, we recognize that indigenous language learning promotes increased self-esteem and confidence for our youth, and a strong cultural identity and knowledge translates into a stronger person overall." She said ANHC is currently working to develop onsite programs that provide indigenous language and learning opportunities in a full immersion environment. MS. EVANS SMITH, in response to a request from the chair to wrap up her testimony, stated that there are examples of successful attempts to restore indigenous languages in New Zealand, Hawai'i, and Wyoming. She said the proposed bill will help unify the programs aimed at restoring Alaska Native languages and will provide a much needed political infrastructure, both inside and outside state government, to "promote sustainable Alaska Native language efforts." She thanked the joint prime sponsors and the members of the House State Affairs Standing Committee. 10:00:28 AM ROSITA WORL, Ph.D., President, Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI), testified on behalf of HB 254. She stated that the mission of SHI is to perpetuate the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian cultures, and its goal is to support cultural diversity and promote cross-cultural understanding. She said SHI has been engaged in language restoration for the last 12 years. Dr. Worl imparted that she also serves on the board of directors of the Indigenous Language Institute, is a member of the National Council of Native American Languages, and earned her Ph.D. in Anthropology at Harvard University, with a minor in Sociolinguistics. She said she would give the committee a written statement on Alaska Native languages, which outlines the need for [HB 254], and a report on Alaska Native language programs administered by Alaska Native organizations, which demonstrates that Native organizations are successful in implementing Native language revitalization programs. She said much more is needed to be done in this area. In response to Representative Johansen, she stated her belief that professional language expertise exists within Alaska, and she said that view is supported in the aforementioned report. 10:02:18 AM DR. WORL shared her heritage in both Tlingit and English. She said she is from the Thunderbird clan and the Eagle moiety, from the House Lowered From The Sun in Klukwan, a child of the Sockeye clan. She said her Tlingit names embody both her social identity and her cultural values; they establish a bond between her and her ancestors and create for her a responsibility to future generations. She said her social identity reflects "our world view and our relationship to the land and environment." Dr. Worl revealed that it has taken many years for her to resolve the conflicts between her Native self and herself in the non-Native world. She explained that she is of the generation of Alaska Natives who were forcibly kidnapped from their homes and put in a mission school to be "educated" and "civilized." She said conflicts still exist for many young Native Alaskans living in both a Native and non-Native world. She stated her belief that [HB 254] can do much to bring about understanding of cultural differences, and she expressed her hope that it would protect linguistic and cultural diversity. 10:04:09 AM DR. WORL outlined the status of Alaska Native languages. She warned that unless remedial action is initiated, most Alaska Native languages will become extinct. She related the status of the following languages, according to a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) report: Inupiat, in the North Slope and Kotzebue, and Gwitchen Athabascan languages are listed as severely endangered, which means that those languages are spoken by grandparents and older generations, and, while parent generations may understand those languages, they do not generally speak them to their children or among themselves; Aleut and the Southeast Alaska Native languages are listed as critically endangered, which means that the youngest speakers are grandparents and older who speak the language partially and infrequently; and Yupik is listed as vulnerable, which means that most children speak the language, but it may be restricted to certain domains, such as in the home. Dr. Worl noted with regret that Eyak is extinct. DR. WORL said some people have suggested that the proposed Alaska Native Language Preservation and Advisory Council may duplicate the work of the Alaska Native Center, but she assured the committee that this is not the case. She emphasized the importance of understanding the difference between documentation and revitalization. She explained that the Alaska Native Center, established about 40 years ago, focuses primarily on the documentation of Alaska Native languages. She said documentation itself does not lead to the restoration of a language, because it does not include the development of curriculum or the training of Native language instructors - the two critical components of language revitalization. She stated her belief that the legislature fully understands the social and economic cost to a society and to the state when a significant percent of its population has a poor education. She echoed the comments of Ms. Evans Smith that children who grow up thinking their language and culture are inferior often have low self- esteem, which is a major factor in failure at school. 10:07:04 AM DR. WORL opined that Native language restoration benefits not only the language itself, but also society as a whole. She talked about the millions of dollars that are spent trying to mend an educational system that has failed Alaska Native people. She echoed the previous testimony of Ms. Evans Smith that studies of existing programs have shown that integrating language and culture into curriculum improves academic achievement. Dr. Worl concluded by stating that although she supports HB 254 as a means by which to identify the barriers to language restoration, much more needs to be done immediately. She invited the committee to read her written testimony, [included in the committee packet]. [HB 254 was held over.]