Montana in vanguard of tribal language preservation

 Montana in vanguard of tribal language preservation

By Clara Caufield,

NSNT Correspondent

 Part 5

 

language conference ( courtesy photo of mike Geboe, Rocky boy)

MISSOULA, Mont. – On March 8 and 9, 2022, a Tribal Language Preservation conference held at the University of Missoula, Montana drew over 150 participants, both in person and via ZOOM. The conference was co-sponsored by the University of Montana, Rocky Boy, Fort Peck and Salish-Kootenai Tribes.

The gathering was dedicated to the ‘Class 7, tribal language instructors’ certified by the Montana Office of Public Instruction. Those teachers provide motivation, education, and inspiration, folks on the ground or in the trenches who are struggling to teach young and old the tribal languages, to preserve and bring them back to daily use.

“These tribal language instructors are on an even par with other Montana certified teachers,” State Representative and conference organizer Jonathon Windy Boy stressed. “They are educational professionals.”

Montana has often been in the vanguard of the tribal language preservation movement, fortified by the State’s constitution, Article 10, Section 2 which states: The State recognizes the distinct and unique cultural heritage of the American Indians and is committed to its educational goals to the preservation of their cultural integrity.

This very strong statement has given springboard to initiatives such as the Montana Tribal Languages Preservation Project (MILPP).

The March conference, the second of four which will be held. was developed from a “fact-finding” mission assigned to Windy Boy by the State Education Interim Budget Committee, upon which he serves.  “Through surveys, we determined that less than half of the Class 7 certified Indian language instructors were aware about the state laws related to their work,” said Mike Geboe, data analyst for the Chippewa/Cree Tribal Department of Indian Education.

Thus, Windy Boy, the architect of Tribal Languages Preservation laws in Montana gave a comprehensive overview of the pertaining laws at the conference.  “In 2013, when we started there was much resistance,” he explained.  “But we got the first law, Montana Tribal Language Preservation Act started, the primary purpose to develop curriculum and teaching strategies.  It was a struggle, yet we managed to get two million for it, equally distributed among the Tribes who designated that project to the Tribal Colleges or to language programs on the reservations, and they tackled it right on, coming up with very good projects and teaching models. Yet, each session, we must still fight for money in the Legislature for financial support.”

Over the years State funding for this effort has amounted to eight million. For a western “cowboy” state, that is significant.  It is highly amazing that our language warriors still have such a strong voice and heart for our people, able to influence others.

Lea Whitford, tribal language teacher on the Blackfeet Reservation echoed those sentiments.  “When you get a language preservation grant, it is very important to get your reports, good results and stories in on time, showing we are being responsible for the funds.  We cannot just leave it up to the legislators to fight for this funding.”

On the heel of that came another law, the Indian Language Immersion Project (ILIP).  That law is directed at programs on or near Montana Indian reservations which have at least 10% native students.

“Out of the 403 public school districts in Montana, 87 qualify for that funding, yet many are reluctant to participate in teaching the language, citing lack of funding to support that effort”, said Windy Boy.  “I understand that. It often comes down to money for small schools.”

The limited funding of $93,000 last cycle for IKIP was provided to Crow and Blackfeet schools which each have a much larger population of native students, already on the road to language instruction.

One conference participant, Charles Walking Child from Helena expressed his frustration that the local school board there is not willing to participate in the instruction of tribal language.  He pointed out that in Montana, much of the Indian population is urban based, often overlooked in these efforts. “They are still Indians,” he reminded.

Windy Boy agreed, also noting the ones who have slipped through the cracks due to social ills, which is why the law can provide funding for tribal language/cultural programs assisting recovery for native youth now held in Pine Hills Youth Correctional Facility, the Youth Academy, and other institutions across the State. The numbers of Native Americans in those institutions are much higher there than other ethnic groups in the State.

There are only two Tribes in Montana which have contracted with the Department of Health and Human Services to administer the Tribal Assistance to Needy Families program (TANF): Rocky Boy and Salish-Kootenai, under self-governance directly from the Federal government.  The other Tribes still get their funds from the State office of Public Assistance.

Under those guidelines, to qualify for TANF benefits, recipients must go on ‘job search’, hoping to find low-income jobs at 25 hours per week. The problem is, there are not enough jobs like that on most Montana reservations.

Thus, Rocky Boy, dedicated to language preservation has come up with an innovative idea – the family-strengthening tool revolving around language.  “The young ones at school are like a sponge,” Windy Boy said. “Soaking up language easily.  But when they go home likely there is no one to have conversation with as their parents who were discouraged and even punished for speaking the language in their youth. So, now under our TANF rules, participating in a language class for adults counts as work.  Because of ZOOM computer technology, our weekly classes and activities the whole family can do this together, while laughing, having fun, and eating.  That is a traditional learning style – make it enjoyable. Make it part of every-day life.”

Windy Boy attempted to pass HB 487 in the 2021 session which would have expanded policies allowing TANF recipients to participate in language learning as a work requirement.  The State HHS objected, saying “They can do this anyway.” Thus, the bill failed.

It does not matter how old you are, learning is always possible, elders advise.

As this series continues, NSNT will look at other Tribes who are also doing innovative things to help their languages stay alive.

As Windy Boy noted. “It took decades and much effort from the government to try and eradicate our tongues.  We must be prepared to spend equal time to get them back.”

(Clara Caufield can be reached at acheyennevoice@gmail.com)

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