2009-08: Allow Use of Native American Languages in Testing to Meet All Requirements of Federally Funded Education

WHEREAS, the National Indian Education Association (NIEA) was established in 1970 for the purpose of advocating, planning, and promoting the unique and special educational needs of American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians; and

WHEREAS, NIEA as the largest national Indian organization of American Indian, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiian educators, administrators, parents and students in the United States, provides a forum to discuss and act upon issues affecting the education of Indian and Native people; and

WHEREAS, through its’ unique relationship with Indian nations and tribes, the federal government has established programs and resources to meet the educational needs of American Indians, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiians, residing on and off their reserved or non-reserved homelands; and

WHEREAS, all Native American children shall receive equal opportunities from the federal government based upon the unique indigenous status, language, and cultural history,

WHEREAS, in 1990, Congress passed the Native American Languages Act (NALA) which established a unique federal policy relative to use in publicly supported education of the Native American languages spoken in this country before 1492; and

WHEREAS, the National Indian Education Association is actively reviewing ESEA and is making specific recommendations for reauthorization;

WHEREAS, there are children using Native American languages in education;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the National Indian Education Association will support the rights of Native American communities and tribes to develop and use their Native American languages in the reauthorization of ESEA to assure that Native American students speaking Native American languages have access to Federally supported education when using and learning Native American languages in educational programs funded by the federal government; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that federal education legislation include provisions allowing the use of Native American languages as the medium of assessments to meet all requirements of federally funded education.