[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 199 (Wednesday, December 21, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H9955-H9956]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NATIVE AMERICAN LANGUAGE RESOURCE CENTER ACT OF 2022
Mrs. PELTOLA. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (S. 989) to establish a Native American language resource center
in furtherance of the policy set forth in the Native American Languages
Act.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
S. 989
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 ``Native American Language
Resource Center Act of 2022''.
SEC. 2. NATIVE AMERICAN LANGUAGE RESOURCE CENTERS.
(a) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to further align
the resources provided by the Department of Education with
the policies set forth in the Native American Languages Act
(25 U.S.C. 2901 et seq.) through establishment of a program
within the Department of Education to support 1 or more
Native American language resource centers.
(b) In General.--The Secretary of Education is authorized
to make a grant to, or enter into a contract with, an
eligible entity for the purpose of--
(1) establishing, strengthening, and operating a Native
American language resource center; and
(2) staffing the center with individuals with relevant
expertise and experience, including staff who speak American
Indian and Alaska Native languages and the Native Hawaiian
language and have worked in language education in the
American Indian and Alaska Native languages and the Native
Hawaiian language in a preschool, elementary school,
secondary school, adult education, or higher education
program.
(c) Authorized Activities.--The Native American language
resource center established under subsection (b) shall carry
out activities to--
(1) improve the capacity to teach and learn Native American
languages;
(2) further Native American language use and acquisition;
(3) preserve, protect, and promote the rights and freedom
of Native Americans to use, practice, and develop Native
American languages in furtherance of--
(A) the policies set forth in the Native American Languages
Act (25 U.S.C. 2901 et seq.); and
(B) the United States trust responsibility to Native
American communities;
(4) address the effects of past discrimination and ongoing
inequities experienced by Native American language speakers;
(5) support the revitalization and reclamation of Native
American languages; and
(6) support the use of Native American languages as a
medium of instruction for a wide variety of age levels,
academic content areas, and types of schools, including
Native American language medium education.
(d) Additional Authorized Activities.--The Native American
language resource center established under subsection (b) may
also carry out activities--
(1) to encourage and support the use of Native American
languages within educational systems in the same manner as
other world languages, including by encouraging State
educational agencies, local educational agencies, and
institutions of higher education to offer Native American
language courses the same full academic credit as courses in
other world languages;
(2) to support the development, adoption, and use of
educational outcome metrics aligned with the Native American
language of instruction, including assessments,
qualifications, and processes based on promising practices in
Native American language medium education;
(3) to provide assistance to Native American language
programs seeking Federal resources;
(4) to encourage and support teacher preparation programs
that prepare teachers to teach Native American languages and
to use Native American languages as a medium of instruction,
including by disseminating promising practices and developing
pedagogical programming and through appropriate alternative
pathways to teacher certification;
(5) to provide information and resources--
(A) on promising practices in the use and revitalization of
Native American languages in Native American communities,
including use in educational institutions; and
(B) for the use of technology in school and community-based
Native American language programs to support the retention,
use, and teaching of Native American languages;
(6) to support the use of distance learning technologies
and training for parents, students, teachers, and learning
support staff associated with Native American language
programs, including--
(A) the compilation and curation of digital libraries and
other online resources for Native American languages, except
that any materials collected by the center shall only be
materials provided by a Native American language program or
Native American community;
(B) the development of optional distance learning curricula
appropriate for preschool, elementary school, secondary
school, adult education, and postsecondary education;
(C) pedagogical training for Native American language
teachers; and
(D) other efforts necessary to continue Native American
language acquisition through distance learning;
(7) to provide technical assistance for Native American
communities and school systems to develop Native American
language medium education programs in preschool, elementary
school, secondary school, or adult education programs
conducted through the medium of Native American languages;
(8) to support Native American language programs and Native
American communities in--
(A) accessing international best practices, resources, and
research in indigenous language revitalization; and
(B) gathering and sharing technical assistance, promising
practices, and experiences;
(9) for the operation of intensive programs, including
summer institutes, to train Native American language
speakers, to provide professional development, and to improve
Native American language instruction through preservice and
in-service language training for teachers; and
(10) that otherwise support the Native American language
resource center established under subsection (b) to carry out
the activities required in subsection (c).
(e) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) ESEA definitions.--The terms ``elementary school'',
``local educational agency'', ``secondary school'', and
``State educational agency'' have the meanings given the
terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
(2) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
(A) an institution of higher education;
(B) an entity within an institution of higher education
with dedicated expertise in Native American language and
culture education; or
(C) a consortium that includes 1 or more institutions of
higher education or 1 or more entities described in
subparagraph (B).
(3) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the
term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1001).
(4) Native american; native american language.--The terms
``Native American'' and ``Native American language'' have the
meanings given those terms in section 103 of the Native
American Languages Act (25 U.S.C. 2902).
[[Page H9956]]
(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this section, $3,000,000 for
each fiscal year.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Alaska (Mrs. Peltola) and the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms.
Foxx) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Alaska.
General Leave
Mrs. PELTOLA. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on S. 989, the Native American Language
Resource Center Act of 2022.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Alaska?
There was no objection.
Mrs. PELTOLA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 989, the Native
American Languages Resource Center Act of 2022.
By 1990, some 150 remaining Native American languages were dying out
after decades of policies that worked to eliminate Native American
languages. While Congress has previously acted to reverse those
efforts, Native American languages are still at risk.
To that end, I applaud Senator Brian Schatz for championing the
Native American Language Resource Center Act.
{time} 1615
Specifically, this bill will create a center that will provide
support for Native American language programs in schools serving
students of all ages and at all levels of learning from pre-K to Ph.D.;
serve as a resource to Federal, Tribal, State, local governments, and
other organizations to spread best practices for the development of
Native American language teaching and learning; and support teacher
preparation programs that prepare teachers to teach Native American
languages.
Madam Speaker, research shows that the best way to reverse Native
American language extinction is to invest in Native American language
education. The Native American Language Resource Center Act of 2022
will accomplish that goal.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of S. 989, the Native American
Language Resource Center Act of 2022.
This legislation will support Native American language centers toward
fulfilling the mission of the Native American Language Act, a
bipartisan bill passed in 1990, with the intent of revitalizing Native
American languages.
This legislation has been helping Native American Tribes preserve
their cultural heritage for 32 years. S. 989 will help advance this
mission. Specifically, S. 989 ensures taxpayer funds are targeted
toward the intended purpose preserving Native languages.
Promoting and preserving Native American languages is a challenging
mission, but a worthy one. Sadly, some languages have already been
lost.
In 2008, Chief Marie Smith Jones passed away. She was the last
speaker of the Eyak language of an Alaskan indigenous Tribe. When she
died, so would have the Eyak language if she had not worked to create a
dictionary and recordings of the language.
According to the National Geographic, one language dies every 14
days. S. 989 will help prevent that from happening. Simply put, this
legislation works to provide Native American language centers with the
resources they need to keep our country's cultures, traditions, and
heritage alive.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of S. 989, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. PELTOLA. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, S. 989 will assist Native American resource centers in
further aligning the resources they are provided by the Department of
Education with the goals of the Native American Language Act.
By supporting the development, preservation, and promotion of Native
American languages, this legislation ensures that the rich, cultural
heritage and traditions of Native Americans are not lost to future
generations.
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleagues who have spoken in support of S.
989, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mrs. PELTOLA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Now more than ever, Congress needs to take action to reaffirm our
commitments to indigenous populations and make good on our promise to
preserve Native American languages.
The Native American Language Resource Center Act of 2022 is a
critical step to achieving that goal. By creating a hub for resources
and learning, Congress will signal their commitment to protecting
Native American languages.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from Alaska (Mrs. Peltola) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, S. 989.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. ROSENDALE. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
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