Preservation of

Native American
Languages
Xavier Chombo Soto
Period: 3
 Key Terms

Native
Code American
Talkers Language
Name given to Native Act
Americans who used their Promote the rights and
tribal language to send freedom of Native
secret communications on Americans to use, practice,
the battlefield. and develop Native
American languages.
Issue at Hand: The Diminish of
Native American Languages
Navajo Indians
Many of these Native American
people were forced to attend
government or religious
boarding schools that tried to
Americanize Native people and
would punish them for
speaking in their traditional
language.
This went on for a couple During this time the United
of years until Americans States was in war with Japan
found their language as a and had no way of
strategic way to communicating safely
communicate with each through the radio without the
other without the Japanese Japanese understanding.
knowing.
Stakeholder #1: Native Americans
Their view of the
issue and their
solution
The only reason Navajo Indians
were given the opportunity to
continue practicing their
traditional language was
because it was useful to the
U.S. Native Americans didn't
have any other choice but to
comply to the demands of the
leaders.
Americans created the fear that
their children would suffer if they
taught them their native language.
As a result we only have about 154
languages still remaining in the U.S.
The problem with this is that only a
handful of people know how to
speak them. Over half of them are
people who are over 70 years.
The solution would be to
revitalize the languages and
empower Native American
communities. Language
learning shows cognitive
advantages, enhances in
self-esteem, cultural
well-being, and strengthens
community bond.
Stakeholder #2: Americans
Their view of the
issue and their
solution
The issue is that America didn't
have an efficient way of
communicating without the
Japanese knowing. Their
solution was to use Native
tribal languages as a
strategically way to send
messages.
Through this they realized This law established a
the importance of allowing federal policy to preserve,
Native Americans to keep protect, and promote Native
their languages. To prevent Americans right to use,
futher harmful federal practice, and develop Native
policies, the government American languages.
decided to pass the Native Federal funding has helped
American Languages Act in some tribes revitalize their
1990. languages.
Solution

Explanation
Native Americans would Not only that but the U.S
My solution would be to keep
agree because their culture has learned that it's not
funding and promoting the
and language represent their morally right to
education and learning of
identities and are a huge change/erase people's
Native American languages.
part of their life. Americans background and identity.
Through this we can achieve a
would agree because they This experiences has
better understanding about
now understand the allowed both sides to
their history and their
necessity of preserving come to an agreement.
experiences as a marginalized
Native languages.
group.
Sources

MLA Citation
DaveW. “American Indian Code Talkers: The National WWII Museum: New Orleans.” The
National WWII Museum | New Orleans, The National World War II Museum, 14 Aug. 2017,
https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/american-indian-code-talkers.

Author Ellen L. Lutz. “Saving America's Endangered Languages.” Cultural Survival, 1 June
2007,
https://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/saving-americas-end
angered-languages.