[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 196 (Monday, December 9, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H9378-H9380]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 ESTHER MARTINEZ NATIVE AMERICAN LANGUAGES PROGRAMS REAUTHORIZATION ACT

  Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (S. 256) to amend the Native American Programs Act of 1974 to 
provide flexibility and reauthorization to ensure the survival and 
continuing vitality of Native American languages.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                 S. 256

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Esther Martinez Native 
     American Languages Programs Reauthorization Act''.

     SEC. 2. NATIVE AMERICAN LANGUAGES GRANT PROGRAM.

       Section 803C of the Native American Programs Act of 1974 
     (42 U.S.C. 2991b-3) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (b)(7)--
       (A) in subparagraph (A)(i), by striking ``10'' and 
     inserting ``5''; and
       (B) in subparagraph (B)(i), by striking ``15'' and 
     inserting ``10''; and
       (2) in subsection (e)(2)--
       (A) by striking ``or 3-year basis'' and inserting ``3-year, 
     4-year, or 5-year basis''; and
       (B) by inserting ``, 4-year, or 5-year'' after ``on a 3-
     year''.

     SEC. 3. REAUTHORIZATION OF NATIVE AMERICAN LANGUAGES PROGRAM.

       (a) In General.--Section 816(e) of the Native American 
     Programs Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 2992d(e)) is amended by 
     striking ``such sums'' and all that follows through the 
     period at the end and inserting ``$13,000,000 for each of 
     fiscal years 2020 through 2024.''.
       (b) Technical Correction.--Section 816 of the Native 
     American Programs Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 2992d) is amended in 
     subsections (a) and (b) by striking ``subsection (e)'' each 
     place it appears and inserting ``subsection (d)''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Arizona (Mr. Grijalva) and the gentleman from South Dakota (Mr. 
Johnson) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arizona.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and to insert extraneous material on the measure under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Arizona?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support S. 256, 
the Esther Martinez Native American Languages Programs Reauthorization 
Act.
  The United States has a trust responsibility to support indigenous 
peoples in this country. The survival of indigenous peoples' languages 
is fundamental to the success of Native communities and the survival of 
traditional Native cultures.
  The history of the United States tells us about the deliberate 
efforts to eliminate indigenous peoples' languages and cultures through 
forced assimilation, boarding school forced attendance, treaties that 
have not been honored, and promises not kept.
  According to UNESCO, 74 Native languages stand to disappear within 
the next decade. Scholars project that only 20 Native languages will be 
spoken by the year 2050. The linguistic and cultural genocide is real 
and demands action.
  The Esther Martinez language program has been a tool that was created 
to address this stark reality. This language program is named in honor 
of a New Mexico Tewa teacher and storyteller, Esther Martinez, who is 
known and honored for her dedication and efforts in revitalizing her 
people's language.
  The Esther Martinez Initiative funds immersion programs that are 
successful in preserving and revitalizing Native languages, both to 
indigenous communities, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian students.
  Today, grants provided under Esther Martinez' program have empowered 
Native communities to establish language immersion programs that are 
successfully reviving Native languages and improving Native economies.
  This grant has been used to develop curriculums rooted in Native 
language based on traditional values and beliefs in subject areas that 
obviously include language, mathematics, science, and social studies.
  Esther Martinez grants also support children's books in Native 
languages, the development of language assessment tools, and the 
intergenerational programs to support regular use of Native language 
with children at home.
  Importantly, they also provide funding to train Native language 
teachers to use the language immersion curriculum developed by the 
Tribe and/or school.
  The powerful link between language and identity for Native people is 
essential in the development of successful students and communities. 
These language immersion programs have proven to be the best model for 
developing fluent speakers and successful students.
  S. 256 reauthorizes the Esther Martinez program for $13 million 
annually, increases the maximum duration of the grant, and reduces the 
number of program enrollees needed to qualify for a grant.
  The survival of Native languages is fundamental to the success of 
Native communities and the survival of traditional Native cultures.
  I would like to thank my colleagues Representative Lujan and Senator 
Udall for leading the effort, and for the support of Representative 
Haaland.
  I urge my colleagues to support S. 256, the Esther Martinez Native 
American Languages Programs Reauthorization Act.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as 
I may consume.
  Greetings, my relative, in Lakota is ``How mitakuye.''
  I am honored to join the chairman, my colleague from Arizona, to 
usher this important legislation through the House after its passage 
through the Senate.
  Now, South Dakota and Arizona both have rich Native American history 
and culture, and we are here tonight to celebrate, to cherish, and, 
yes, to sustain that culture.
  The Esther Martinez Native American Languages Programs 
Reauthorization Act was introduced in 2006 by my friend Heather Wilson, 
who was a Congresswoman from New Mexico before she moved to South 
Dakota. This reauthorization of her bill will empower

[[Page H9379]]

Native American Tribes to continue teaching languages like Lakota and 
Dakota to future generations.
  Let there be no mistake. There is pressing need for this work. Fewer 
than 1 percent of Lakota and Dakota Native Americans are fluent in 
either of those languages. That means there are just 2,000 Lakota and 
Dakota fluent speakers in the world. We are losing those speakers too 
quickly because of old age, and their ranks have declined by 65 percent 
in the last 15 years.
  Unfortunately, it is not just Lakota and Dakota that are threatened. 
There are 175 Native languages spoken in this country today, and there 
are estimates that, 30 years from now, fewer than 20 will be spoken.
  Why does this matter? Why do we care? Why are we gathered here 
tonight for such a just cause?
  It is because, Mr. Speaker, as we all know, language is the lifeblood 
of culture. Language opens a doorway for all of us, a doorway into 
understanding of peoples, into understanding their past, and maybe, 
most interestingly, understanding their future. That is powerful 
insight.
  Now, for example, Lakota-speaking Native Americans may say, 
``mitakuye oyasin,'' which means, we are all related. But this, to me, 
is the most fascinating part about this, Mr. Speaker, you wouldn't just 
say that when you are around people with whom you are related. You 
would say that in a broader group of people, to demonstrate an 
interconnectedness, part of a larger family, that we have similar 
values and dreams and fears; there is a human condition.
  Now, English doesn't quite have a phrase like that. The fact that 
Lakota does tells us a lot about the Lakota people.
  This program, these dollars, are having an impact in Indian Country. 
For years, Lakota was, along with dozens of other Native languages, 
designated as ``severely threatened.'' Its status was recently changed 
to a ``reawakening language.''
  That is an acknowledgment that projects funded by this program, 
projects that are working today in communities in South Dakota like 
Eagle Butte and Porcupine, are making a difference.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I would say thank you, ``pilamaye yelo.''
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 5 minutes to 
the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Lujan), a leader in this effort on 
this legislation.

                              {time}  1715

  Mr. LUJAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Esther 
Martinez Native American Languages Programs Reauthorization Act.
  With the passage of this legislation, Congress has made monumental 
progress to affirm Native communities honoring their heritage by 
speaking the languages gifted to them by their creators.
  Today, we recognize the only existing Federal Native language 
education grant programs. These programs give our first Americans 
crucial support to protect their languages from extinction.
  Today is a historic moment, a blessing, and I want to offer thanks to 
the people who made this achievement possible.
  We owe our deepest gratitude to Esther Martinez of Ohkay Owingeh 
Pueblo, who ensured Tewa is spoken across New Mexico. Her passion for 
her culture and tradition is what brought us together today.
  To the educators who work every day to ensure Native languages are 
here for future generations, thank you.
  I thank my colleague Senator Tom Udall, who has made reauthorization 
of these programs a top priority for more than a decade and 
successfully secured passage of the legislation in the U.S. Senate.
  I would also like to recognize Congressman Grijalva, Mr. Speaker, for 
his leadership on behalf of Tribes and Native peoples.
  I am deeply grateful for my colleagues Congresswomen Haaland and 
Torres Small, Chairmen Young and Cole, Congresswomen McCollum and 
Gabbard, and Chairman Scott for joining together to ensure this 
legislation had its day on the House floor.
  I thank and recognize all the Pueblo, Apache, and Navajo leaders from 
New Mexico, including those in the gallery today.
  With the permission of her family, I am honored to celebrate the 
legacy that Esther Martinez and her Pueblo have shared with the world.
  New Mexico boasts a rich history and diversity that includes 23 
Native Nations and seven indigenous language groups found nowhere else 
on Earth. Esther Martinez, a master educator and linguist, dedicated 
her life to the Tewa language, which today is spoken across six 
northern Pueblos in my district and in Hopi-Tewa in Arizona.
  As a child whose first language was Tewa, Mrs. Martinez attended a 
government-run Indian boarding school where nearly everything that made 
her a Pueblo woman was banned, including her language.
  Her experience is not unique. Generations of Native families had 
their children torn from their arms, bound for schools that forced 
English and Western education on Native students.
  Despite living through a period of overt racism with Federal policies 
aimed at exterminating Native culture, Mrs. Martinez defied the odds by 
returning to Ohkay Owingeh. She raised her children and family to speak 
the Tewa dialect. Esther went on to teach many more as a linguist, a 
schoolteacher, and the director of bilingual education for her Pueblo.
  Her legacy lives on in the sounds of Tewa being spoken in her 
community. Her son Tony and daughters Marie and Josephine are raising 
their children and grandchildren with Tewa in their homes. Her daughter 
Mercedes is a regular attendee at adult language classes taught by one 
of Esther Martinez' proteges.
  Esther Martinez' grandson, former Lieutenant Governor Matthew 
Martinez, a doctor of American studies and American Indian studies, 
advances his culture at Santa Fe's Museum of Indian Arts and Culture. 
He is also teaching Tewa to his youngest son.
  Today, we pass this legislation knowing that it will help Native 
communities protect their languages for generations to come. I urge my 
colleagues to join me in supporting this important legislation.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to refrain from 
referencing occupants of the gallery.
  Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota. Mr. Speaker, for 46 years, the 120,000 
Alaskan Natives in our country have had a champion working for them, 
fighting for them, advocating for them. He is the dean of this House 
and the former chairman of the Indian Affairs Subcommittee.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Alaska (Mr. Young.)
  (Mr. YOUNG asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. YOUNG. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. 
Johnson has done a great job. That was a great presentation. I am very 
proud of him.
  Each person who has spoken on this legislation really put it in 
context about the Esther Martinez program started in 2006. I happened 
to be a cosponsor of that bill. I watched it pass and become a reality, 
and it has worked.
  What we are doing is reauthorizing a program that allows a culture to 
be retained through languages. In Alaska, we have 20 Native languages 
and 40-some dialects.
  As the gentleman said, we lost that for a long period of time. 
Language is what keeps the culture together. It is important for the 
past, important for the present, and important for the future.
  The University of Alaska has a program, the Alaska Native Language 
Center, which has worked very well since the 1970s. We were well ahead 
with this program, and we want to continue it.
  We have an innovative Alaska Native Cultural Charter School in 
Anchorage that teaches Yupik to all the students so there is an 
exchange, not just Native, but between other races, so they understand 
the language.
  I believe this is one of the best programs that we are able to 
achieve. The funding probably is still inadequate, but it is a 
continuation of good work by this Congress.
  I thank each one of you who has been participating in this, 
especially Representative Lujan. I am a little bit

[[Page H9380]]

concerned, if I may. I don't want to speak about the other body, but we 
know who it is. They have taken Mr. Lujan's bill and sort of put their 
name on it, but we will forgive them because we will get it done.
  This is good legislation. I also would like to thank Representative 
Price, who co-chairs the American Languages Caucus with me.
  Again, congratulations. This is good legislation. The chairman has 
done well, and let's continue to act.
  Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Minnesota (Ms. McCollum).
  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 256, the Esther 
Martinez Native American Languages Programs Reauthorization Act.
  There are many critical needs in Indian Country, and the Federal 
Government has an obligation to fulfill our trust and Tribal 
responsibilities. This commitment includes reauthorizing the Esther 
Martinez Immersion grants so that Congress ensures Indian students have 
the opportunity to study, learn, and speak their Tribal languages.
  The National Congress of American Indians says it best: A language 
``encompasses and expresses a worldview shaped by centuries, in some 
cases tens of thousands of years of experience, knowledge, practices, 
spiritual beliefs, and relationships between a people, its neighbors, 
and its environment, which cannot be replicated in any other tongue.''
  Language is paramount to one's identity. The gift of language allows 
a person to carry their culture from their ancestors to the present and 
on to the next generation to come.
  Esther Martinez grants have empowered Tribes to establish immersion 
programs, making it possible for more Tribal communities to maintain 
their Native languages and pass along centuries-old cultural heritage.
  These grants will benefit not only Native American Tribal Nations 
across the country but also Native Hawaiians, Native Alaskans, and 
Pacific Islander communities, giving them the ability to protect and 
rejuvenate indigenous languages.
  Without urgent action to reauthorize these grants, too many 
communities risk losing the Native languages of their ancestors.
  As chair emeritus of the Native American Caucus, I have worked to 
increase funding for Esther Martinez programs, and I will continue to 
make Native languages and their preservation and education a priority.
  Mr. Speaker, as the 116th Congress moves forward, we must prioritize 
our Federal trust and treaty obligations. We must do so in a way that 
respects Native culture and strengthens Native communities. 
Reauthorizing the Esther Martinez Native American Language Preservation 
Act brings us one step closer to this goal.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this 
legislation, and in the words of the Ojibwe, ``miigwech.''
  Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance 
of my time.
  We are not here in this body to reauthorize feel-good programs. We 
are gathered here tonight not to reauthorize a feel-good program but to 
authorize a program that works, that makes a difference.
  The evidence is clear. Students who participate in these programs, 
they do learn language skills. They also are more likely to graduate 
high school. They are more likely to have high academic achievement. 
They are more likely to be successful in their communities. That is 
what the data tells us. We cannot let up now.
  These programs are working in a variety of States and a variety of 
communities. If we want a robust and healthy Native American culture in 
this country, we need to have a healthy and robust Native American 
language environment in this country. The Esther Martinez Native 
American Language Preservation Act is important, a critical component 
of that framework, of that environment.
  I ask my colleagues, I beseech them tonight, to reauthorize this 
program that is doing so much good throughout our country. I urge a 
``yes'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  My Speaker, I thank my colleagues across the aisle and, in 
particular, Mr. Young, my friend from the committee.
  When I first came to Congress, this is one of the first bills that he 
sponsored. I was very proud to vote for it then, and I encourage all of 
my colleagues today to be very proud to vote for it now.
  The reauthorization is $13 million, and it is an amount of money that 
goes very far in Indian Country, an amount of money that many could 
argue should be more, but the point today is to reauthorize.
  By reauthorization and seed money, which is so important to the 
Native youth and children, I think we make a statement as a Congress 
that we, too, join in reaffirming the revitalization, the preservation 
of both language and culture among the first Americans in this country. 
We say to them that what they bring as persons, as a Tribe, as a people 
is vital, too, and enriches the fabric of this Nation of ours.
  I am proud to be here. I urge all of my colleagues to support this 
bill. It is a good piece of legislation that does good work and will 
continue to do good work. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Grijalva) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, S. 256.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________