Oklahoma tribes are dedicating their resources to preserving Native languages, some of which have few speakers left.

The Cherokee Nation spent $2.4 million on language revitalization in 2005 and plans to spend $2.5 million in the coming year. The Pawnee Nation is using a federal grant to develop an immersion school for children, ages preschool to 5.

The Euchee Language Project lost its federal grant but is hoping the Muscogee Nation will help fund the effort. Others, like the Miami Tribe, don't qualify for federal funds because they don't have any fluent speakers left.

According to the Intertribal Wordpath Society, only 27 of Oklahoma's 38 tribes have speakers. Some of the tribes have fewer than 5 speakers.

Get the Story:
State's tribes devote resources to preserving their languages (The Tulsa World 8/29)

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