Young students at a Lakota language immersion camp on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Photo by Iyapi Glukinipi
$3.2 Million To Be Awarded For Language Revitalization
By Brandon Ecoffey
Lakota Country Times Editor
www.lakotacountrytimes.com PINE RIDGE - Through the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Language Acquisition more than $3.2 million has been made available for indigenous language revitalization. "These grants represent an opportunity to increase support for our Native American children starting with our earliest learners to be well-prepared for college and career success through the preservation of native languages and cultural identity," said U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. "With this funding, we continue to deliver on our promise of equity, excellence and opportunity in supporting all students, particularly students, educators and families who have been underserved." The movement to save Indigenous languages across the United States has grown exponentially over the course of the last decade. The Lakota language is one of many that have been deemed to be at risk of being extinct. In response many tribal-nations have begun to invest heavily in immersion school learning in an attempt to normalize the everyday use of traditional languages. "The Administration is committed to equity and access for all students," said Libia Gil, assistant deputy secretary and director of the Office of English Language Acquisition. "These projects will recognize the rich heritage that Native American students bring to school and enable them to receive appropriate support to improve educational outcomes," she added. The main focuses of the Native American and Alaska Native children in School (NAM) program is in supporting the preservation and revitalization of Native American languages and encouraging a focus on improving early learning and development outcomes. The Obama Administration has invested heavily in Indian Country as more than 40.3 million has been committed to improving the lives of American Indian and Alaskan Native children. Since 2008, the Department has awarded an estimated $40.3 million in NAM grants. In September, the Department announced $5.3 million in grants to support Native Youth Community Projects (NYCP) in becoming college- and career-ready. The grants are impacting more than 30 tribes in nine states and involve more than 48 schools.
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The program allows tribes and tribal communities to identify culturally appropriate supports to address needs for students that have been identified by the community. The grants support President Obama's Generation Indigenous "Gen I" Initiative also launched last year to help Native American youth. The deadline for submitting an Intent to Apply was April 14, 2016. The deadline for submitting applications is May 24, 2016. Federal Register Notices:
Application for New Awards; Native American and Alaska Native Children in School Program (March 25, 2016)
Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Study of the Title III Native American and Alaska Native Children in School (NAM) Program (March 25, 2016) (Contact Brandon Ecoffey at editor@lakotacountrytimes.com) Find the award-winning Lakota Country Times on the Internet, Facebook and Twitter and download the new Lakota Country Times app today.
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