Bill adding more Indigenous languages to Alaska’s official list heads to governor

Rep. Andi Story, D-Juneau, speaks during a House Education Committee gathering connected May 3, 2024. (Eric Stone/Alaska Public Media)

Alaska lawmakers passed a measure past week that adds respective Indigenous languages to Alaska’s charismatic database of languages.

A type of nan bill, sponsored by Juneau Rep. Andi Story, was approved by nan Senate and past OK’d by nan House past week. It was primitively passed successful nan House past year. Now it heads to nan governor.

Earlier this year, Story, a Democrat, called nan changes included successful nan measure an important measurement successful recognizing each of nan 23 chopped Alaska Native languages successful nan state. 

“This reflects nan extremity of sustaining and reinvigorating Alaska Native languages, a conception that goes beyond preservation,” she said. 

The languages that nan measure adds to nan charismatic database are Cup’ig, Middle Tanana, Lower Tanana and Wetał. Middle and Lower Tanana were antecedently classified arsenic conscionable 1 language. 

According to a recent study from nan council, there are presently nary high-proficiency speakers of nan Wetał language. It comes from nan Portland Canal region of Southeast Alaska and British Columbia.

The measure besides expands and renames nan Alaska Native Language Preservation and Advisory Council. The assembly advocates to beforehand nan endurance and revitalization of Indigenous languages successful nan state. It will now beryllium called nan Council for Alaska Native Language. 

The measure adds 2 seats to nan assembly and moves it from nan Department of Commerce to nan Department of Education and Early Development to amended stress nan council’s attraction connected education. 

In grounds earlier this year, nan president of nan council, X̱ʼunei Lance Twitchell, said he supports nan measure and based on Indigenous languages request to beryllium a bigger privilege for nan state. Twichell teaches Alaska Native languages astatine nan University of Alaska Southeast. 

“Alaska Native languages are nan oldest surviving assets successful Alaska,” he said. “These languages are older than nan trees, they’re older than immoderate of nan rocks, and nary of america are qualified to make nan determination that they should not beryllium anymore.”

He said it’s important that these languages are recognized arsenic nan valuable and historical resources that they are.  

“Every azygous Alaska Native connection is ineffable and irreplaceable,” he said. “It contains concepts that cannot beryllium translated, it contains things that cannot beryllium replaced, and that springiness a consciousness of fulfillment and wholeness and wellness to Alaska Natives and to non-natives successful Alaska.”

The measure passed unanimously successful nan Senate. In nan House, only Rep. David Eastman, a Wasilla Republican, voted against it. He based on immoderate of nan languages proposed, for illustration Wetał, are not spoken regularly and should not beryllium added to nan charismatic list.

A spokesperson for Gov. Mike Dunleavy did not straight respond to questions asking whether nan politician plans to motion nan bill.