[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 47 (Friday, March 8, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16774-16776]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-04935]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Notice for Public Comment on Administration for Native Americans' 
Survey To Measure Native American Language Vitality

AGENCY: Administration for Native Americans, Administration for 
Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

ACTION: Request for public comments.

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SUMMARY: As part of the Durbin Feeling Native American Languages Act of 
2022 (Durbin Feeling Act), the Administration for Native Americans 
(ANA) is tasked with developing a nationwide survey on Native 
languages, with the intent that the survey will be sent out and 
collected every 5 years. The survey will gather information from Tribal 
Governments and/or Native language community organization 
representatives to report about the language use, language learning, 
and unmet needs in the community. The law requires that the survey 
makers consult with Native American Tribes, traditional leaders, and 
representatives of Native American language communities, including 
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Island communities. The data collection 
will provide Tribal Nations, Native American language communities, and 
Congress with critical information about how Federal support can best 
help to revitalize and maintain Native languages. For more information 
on the Durbin Feeling Act, please visit: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ana/durbin-feeling.

DATES: Comments are due by April 8, 2024 to ensure consideration during 
the survey revision process.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted to Amy Zukowski, Director of 
Program Evaluation and Planning, Administration for Native Americans,

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330 C Street SW, Washington, DC 20201 or via email to 
[email protected]. Please use ``Native Language Survey 
Comments'' in the subject line.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy Zukowski, Director, Program 
Evaluation and Planning, Administration for Native Americans, 330 C 
Street, SW, Washington, DC 20201; Telephone: (877) 922-9262; Email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Background

    On January 5, 2023, the Durbin Feeling Native American Languages 
Act became law (Pub. L. 117-337). The purpose of this legislation is to 
improve interagency efforts to support Native American language 
reclamation efforts; reduce duplication, inefficiencies, and barriers 
Native American language communities face in accessing Federal programs 
to support efforts to revitalize, maintain, or increase the use of 
Native American languages; and outline the status of the vitality of 
Native American languages.
    The law requires implementation of these actions in consultation 
with Indian Tribes, traditional leaders, and representatives of Native 
American language communities, including Native Hawaiian and Pacific 
Island communities.
    This legislation charges ANA to lead the development and 
implementation of a nationwide survey on Native American languages 
every 5 years. ANA is working with other Federal agencies and 
conducting consultations with Tribes, including their speakers and 
language experts, in the development of this survey.
    Congress outlined six topic areas that must be included in the 
survey:

1. Information on which Native languages are currently spoken
2. Estimates on the number of speakers of each Native language
3. Any relevant language usage statistics or information
4. Information on types of Native language projects and practices
5. Information on any unmet resources for Native languages
6. Any other necessary information

    The Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq., provides 
that a Federal agency generally cannot conduct or sponsor a collection 
of information, and the public is generally not required to respond to 
an information collection, unless it is approved by the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) under the PRA and displays a currently 
valid OMB Control Number. In addition, notwithstanding any other 
provisions of law, no person shall generally be subject to penalty for 
failing to comply with a collection of information that does not 
display a valid Control Number. See 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and 1320.6.
    When ANA administers the survey in the future, ANA intends to make 
results available to the public. Collected data can serve as a guide 
for future policies to better support Native language reclamation 
efforts. The proposed survey will be completed by representatives 
within Tribes and communities to report on information at the community 
level. Participation in the survey will be voluntary, and Tribes and 
Native language communities will not be required to share culturally 
sensitive information.

B. Summary of Reviews and Consultations to Date

    To date, ANA has engaged in multiple listening sessions with 
representatives from Hawaii and the Pacific territories, Alaska, 
National Indian Education Association's members, National Congress of 
American Indians Language Task Force, American Indian Higher Education 
Consortium, and the Administration for Children and Families Tribal 
Advisory Council. ANA also sought input through formal Tribal 
Consultation. ANA also convened a Community Working Group to provide 
advice on the survey development.
    Key themes are included below.
    Data should be useful to and actionable for the communities from 
which they were gathered:
     Findings should be made publicly available.
     Many respondents expressed hope that the data can 
contribute to policy change around language funding, especially around 
unmet needs, which were a significant concern across all listening 
sessions.
     Language vitality and program sustainability can fluctuate 
with access or limitations to Federal funding; as such, data should be 
gathered that assess community-level needs to support better alignment 
between community priorities and Federal funding.
    Language usage, preservation, and maintenance efforts are highly 
specific to each community:
     Many communities speak or have spoken multiple languages 
and/or dialects.
     Some communities have different definitions or perceptions 
of survey topics and may have gathered information that does not align 
with the survey questions.
    Assessing intergenerational transmission of language and areas 
where language is used or spoken is critical:
     The absolute number of speakers matters, but endangered 
languages can go dormant within a single lifespan. Intergenerational 
language transmission holds cultural significance and is necessary for 
ongoing vitality.
     Language is a repository for cultural heritage; 
understanding where language is used matters.
    Survey administration plans should consider accuracy of coverage 
and potential burden:
     Plans should be cognizant and respectful of existing 
administrative burdens for respondents.
     Data gathered may include estimates, and there may be 
overlap across organizations that may support multiple communities.
     Some communities may want to respond but be unable to do 
so for a variety of factors (for example, time allotted for response, 
capacity to gather data).

C. Guiding Questions for Comment

    ANA requests comments on the draft survey found at https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ana/durbin-feeling and suggests the following guiding 
questions for consideration. For the list of draft questions and more 
information on the Durbin Feeling Native American Languages Act, please 
visit this site: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ana/durbin-feeling.
    1. Do the proposed survey questions address the six survey topics 
in a culturally relevant way? What other questions would better address 
the six topic areas?
    2. Should we exclude any of the proposed questions from a survey 
that will be shared publicly? If so, please explain which and why.
    3. Do the proposed terms and definitions align with your 
community's use of these terms and definitions?
    4. What is an appropriate length of time to request for completing 
the survey? Consider how long it might take to (1) review instructions, 
(2) gather the data needed, and (3) answer the proposed questions.
    5. How would you want to respond to a survey for your community? 
For example, would you want a web-based survey, a telephone interview, 
an in-person interview, a hard-copy paper survey, or a mix of these 
methods?
    ANA and its partners will continue to deliberate, assess evidence, 
and take into consideration comments received

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from the public before making final recommendations for the survey.

Patrice H. Kunesh,
Commissioner, Administration for Native Americans.
[FR Doc. 2024-04935 Filed 3-7-24; 8:45 am]
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