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Funding sought to preserve native languages

Senator Stephenson could potentially appreciate the educational success that Native children would show if they could connect with their languages and cultural through the schools that are predominately Western culture oriented. The Oregon schools seem to face same situation of not knowing the meaning of what it could do here if we could teach our Native languages in the schools - especially those schools that are close to large populations of Native American communities. I, personally have great appreciation for those who step forward to support education so that ALL students have equality in the classroom. Respectfully sumittted. MJ

Some questions.

Is it the job of public schools to keep languages alive or to teach core subjects that will help students to be successful in life?

How many Native American students in Granite and Salt Lake City Schools need help with English language skills?

Would the $275,000 be better spent on tutoring to help students build their English skills?

With better English language skills would they be able to better compete in the job market while building a better future for themselves and their children?

Is there a political agenda here?

A private book project was started in 2005 for the San Juan School District. The District selected books for the second grade in the three schools on the Navajo Reservation. Each second grade classroom received about 3 books for each student in the class. The student checked out a book to read at home and return. (Most of the students in these and other Title I schools have no books at home to read.)
Next, the project provided books for the third grade and then the first grade. There was NO cost to the schools as the cost was paid for from the book project.
The project also supplied twelve books at the end of the school year for each of the first graders (80 students) to read at home during the summer and keep their books.

Was the increase in student grades the result of the grant?

$275,000.00 What can I do with $275,000.00? $275,000.00 would buy 100,000 paperback books from Scholastic, Inc.. That would be 75 books per classroom (based on 25 students) shipped directly to 1,333 schools. The procedure would be the same as in San Juan District. The teachers level the books and assist the student in selecting the book to read at home. One teacher in the SLC district told me that the books improve student communication with the family and reading accuracy is increased 100%.

on the Utah Navajo Trust Fund for such amounts. Soon as I understand it the Trust Fund will be relegated to the Navajo Tribe from the State. The trust fund itself made alot of people rich along with building certain buildings on the College of Eastern Utah Campus. The original intent of the Trust Fund was for the health, welfare and education of the Navajo people living in what is refered to as the Aneth Extension. Some 50 million plus dollars are in litigation right now because of mismanagement. How many books would that buy? The San Juan School district at best has it's own agenda when it comes to the academic advancement of the native students. Hopefully with the Administration at present the educational issues are being addressed with out the same rhetoric that parents have been fed time after time. But god bless the good teachers who do a tremendous job with the NO Child Left Behind referendum as there must be some frustration at times. But it all starts with the parents becoming more involved and aware of the power they hold as voters along with working within the system as set up. The Superintendent is sincere!

Already there is a language heritage program in place in the san juan school district for Navajos. It takes up an hour of the school day. An hour that could be spent learning Math Science or English. Among other factors, the students are so far behind because they receive less time for the fundamentals than do the norm of students in Utah.
As for proving that this program is the reason for increased student achievement, the variables are too numerous to sort out. This is political bunk.
As for preserving cultural identity, Schools are in the business of forging an American identity. Playing favorites among races, and ethnicities is counterproductive to that role.
It is the parent's role to preserve language and heritage. They are really the only ones that can do that.

The question is, "WOULD THE STATE OF UTAH BE WILLING TO PROVIDE THE $275,000.O0 FOR THIS PROJECT?" The answer would be NO, NO....

I wrote to the author of this article about writing ALL the facts, instead of what was one side of the project.

The modest proposal for teaching native languages is a step in the right direction, a symbolic gesture. But symbols are important to children and youth. Recognizing and valuing children's heritage and identity is a basis for establishing the understanding that makes classroom teaching effective.

We cannot ignore the fact that policies for dealing with native peoples have always been based on forcing children to give up their heritage as a basis for school success and entering the "mainstream". With more than four centuries of contact between our civilization and theirs, our "achievements" are evident in the results: massive dropouts, academic failure, endemic poverty, social disintegration and fourth-class citizenship reflecting a racist attitude to their languages and culture.

We have to get over our fears of bilingual 6 year-olds who speak another language, treat their heritage with respect and get down to the business of helping children learn in their own way. This is not favoritism. It's accepting our failure as a society to be tolerant and deciding to try another approach. Utah is, after all, named after an Indian language and culture. Good luck.

(Mr.) Stacy Churchill,
Distinguished Research Fellow,
Bilingualism and Official Languages Institute, University of Ottawa, Canada

It seems like everytime I hear or read about this kind of issues. It boils down to money, where and what monies it coming out of to support this kind issue. I don't think it should matter, as long as that child is getting some kind of education either reading, math skills, etc,etc. I don't think one subject will help one child in the long run. They should be lucky there getting some kind of help now Not like in past where you get the basic education and thats all you get. Especially children who live in the cities it hard to find help on languages and your own culture.when I was growning up I never had help in those area, I have to learn it on my own, and still learning at the age of 31. I have people coming up telling me I shouldn't lose my culture or my language. Just be glad in this generation someone or somebody is thinking about them and hoping they will good education and using it for a good purpose