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As part of his budget proposal, Gov. Jim Doyle set aside $250,000 a year to help the state’s Native American tribes preserve their endangered languages.
The funding will go toward an existent competitive grant program for school districts and cooperative educational service agencies who work with tribal education authorities to support instruction in Native American languages, according to Doyle spokesperson Lee Sensenbrenner.
“This [program] is something unique to Wisconsin that the governor saw an opportunity to protect and save,” Sensenbrenner said.
Sensenbrenner added the proposed funding for the program would come out of money paid to the state by tribal casinos. According to Sensenbrenner, it is culturally important for the state to protect the languages since Wisconsin is one of the few areas left where they are spoken.
John Anderson, spokesperson for Joint Finance Committee co-chair Sen. Mark Miller, D-Monona, said Miller supports preserving Native American languages and culture but has not made a final decision on this particular budget item.
“With each generation, fewer and fewer people are speaking the native languages, and it’s important that we preserve our past,” Anderson said.
He added Miller approves of using tribal gaming revenue collected by the state to fund the program since it would be important to many tribes statewide.
David Grignon, tribal historic preservation officer for the Menominee tribe of Wisconsin, said tribal schools would benefit greatly from this funding because it would enable them to hire more teachers and develop a better language program. He also said this would ultimately have a number of benefits for the tribe as a whole.
“Language is probably the most important thing that identifies us as Menominee people, and if we lose it we would lose a lot,” Grignon said. “This money will help us preserve who we are.”
Grignon said language education is already taught in Menominee schools and colleges, but language programs are still needed for those tribal members who do not attend either institution.
“There is more that has to be done as far as teaching tribal members who are not in college or school,” Grignon said. “We need to perpetuate the language.”
The proposal sparked criticism from Republican lawmakers concerned about the $5.9 billion budget shortfall the state is expected to face over the next two years.
Rep. Scott Suder, R-Abbotsford, called the program “goofy and crazy” given the state’s current financial atmosphere and the loss of so many jobs throughout Wisconsin.
“The governor should concentrate more on using our tax money to preserve jobs rather than preserving dead languages,” Suder said.
Suder also said the taxpayers should not be forced to pay for this program because most tribes make enough revenue from their casinos to pay for it. He added he is sorry for the situation but jobs are definitely more important than dead language preservation.
IP hash: fd8812b0
I am a Menominee Indian woman who has not had the privilege or the honor to learn my tribal language and would like to. Just possibly part of this budget item would go to help me learn my language. I am for its’ funding.
I would ask Rep. Scott Suder to search his heart regarding something of his own heritage or culture and ask himself if he would like to see it perpetuated or forgotten? These areas that make us who we are are at the core of our very being…our heart and soul…
And yes, I realize jobs are important at this time…I pray for our economy and our leadership almost daily. The people of the United States are an ingenious group and as challenges in the job market present themselves Americans throughout this land of liberty and freedom will survive…we’ve all been doing it for over 233 years.
Posoh!
May you,
Kemaehnow Pematiset Eh-Yohpeh So’naeh Eyom Kesekat - Menominee Indian language for;
“Live in the Beauty of Today”
Your friend,
Trilby Beauprey McIntosh
IP hash: a5c94577
Wisconsin citizens benefit significantly from funds generated by Native American gaming. What would the shortfall have been without monies from Indian tribes? The state can afford to use some of these funds to assist tribes in preserving their culture and identity through language preservation. As a Native American educator,I’ve seen the effects of the loss of identity in Native American youth as reflected in high suicide rates, high drop out rates, etc. I hope that the good people in the Wisconsin legislature recognize that it is a worthwhile use of casino revenue to help schools and tribes with this initiative. I applaud Joint Finance Committee Co-Chair Mark Anderson for his leadership and wisdom and I urge others to support him.
IP hash: 00c405b1
Balance is the key in budgeting. Legislators may view a vote for Language Revitatilization Projects as unnecessary, however, these funds also create jobs in Indian Country. As state projects build roads, buildings, and maintains social structures, these funds create jobs for teachers and language curriculum developers. In Indian Country we strive to keep our balance, our identity. During tough times, this is when it is most important. Rep. Scott Suder shows his ignorance when defending his position by calling native languages dead. I assume you need to be a college graduate to be a Representative. Be respectful!
IP hash: e8720b4b
I am an advocate for preservation of Indigenous languages. A language dies every two weeks out of the 6-7000 languages in the world. I find languages very fascinating and I am a Cheyenne language instructor. I sure hope that funding is made available for thie important cause.
Adeline Spotted Elk
Lame Deer, MT
IP hash: e8720b4b
To The Honorable Scott Suder:
You know it probably was a “goofy and crazy” idea during WWII when Marine Corps units were brought together that consisted of Native Speakers, that included Navajo, Lakota, Commanche, among others, that established the Code Talkers Units.
The Japanese and the Germans were unable to break the codes, thus turning the tide of the war in favor of the U.S. forces.
As “goofy and crazy” as it sounds those “dead languages” and the U.S. Marines who were Native Speakes preserved your right of “freedom of speech” among many other freedoms that you enjoy so much today.
Due to the nature of covert military operations, some of the Code Talkers were finally honored several years ago (60 years later) by George W. Bush, President of the United States.
To Honorable Jim Doyle:
Thank you for taking the bold step to help preserve and perpetuate Native Languages!
Steve Brady, Sr. Culture Curriculum Director Cheyenne Language, Tribal Government & Tribal History Lame Deer Public School
IP hash: ad5899e5
Those who understand diversity in all its manifestations also recognize the necessity for diversity in spoken and written languages. I am humbled everyday by the beauty of spoken languages as I struggle to learn one more language beyond North American English.
Our indigenous languages are not dead yet— but every week, this broken world loses one more language out of the thousands upon thousands that flourished in this hemisphere alone at one time.
Our children and our grandchildren are reinvigorating these languages everyday; that alone gives me hope for the land and its people. miigwech, abinooji/wug
IP hash: c4c0a0fc
I am a Wisconsin Native, Potawatomi Heritage Fluent Speaker. I currently teach the Potawatomi language in Oklahoma. I teach 4 nights a week, and prepare teachers of this language to teach this tribe, who lost their language during the Removal. I, too, would like to remind this representative, if it weren’t for the Navajo, Comanche, Lakota, and other code-talkers, you wouldn’t have your freedom, nor would you have the money to disburse for Native Language Preservation.
Donald A. Perrot Born in Arpin, WI, on Powers Bluff.
IP hash: d797ec91
Just to put the numbers in perspective, this accounts for 0.001250% (or less) of the total budget. With tough financial times, a lot of fuss is being made, mainly by the GOP, about unnecessary spending. This is a drop in a drop in a drop in the bucket. Anyone making a fuss over this is grandstanding, plain and simple.
IP hash: 447cde81
When we look at problems we need to do so holistically. The entire world is at the doorstep of major environmental changes and it will take all of us to fix it. Tribal language is culturally relevant and therefore will allow tribal people to mentally prepare to help others when it will be needed the most.
Dan Hawk
IP hash: d8d84799
Representative Suder shows his true colors: Language is “goofy” but training hound dogs is important. So Rep. Suder feels hound dogs are worth far more than the Native American language? Hey he wrote a bill wanting money to train hound dogs but calls Native American language “goofy”?
How much money does the state collect from Indians? $140 million a year? And they make a big deal out of using $250k of it?
Frank Walker
IP hash: f84c6c0b
sir i am awhite american thank the code talkers for your freedom