Dear Tribal Leader:
The federal inter-agency Education Committee of the White House Council on Native American Affairs (WHCNAA) is releasing a draft 10-year National Plan on Native Language Revitalization (National Plan)—and your input is needed. In September, the Education Committee will host a number of events to gather input from Tribal leaders and other Tribal experts about:

• How can the federal government work with Tribes, Native Hawaiian Organizations, Tribal and non-profit organizations, states, schools, higher education institutions, and the private sector to raise national awareness about the importance of Native languages for Tribes and the country?
• What can the federal government do to create national awareness of the current crisis of Native language loss and establish a sense of urgency for immediate national action?
• How important to a National Plan is a formal policy recognition of the historic role that the federal government played in Native language erasure?
  • What should the content and nature of a formal policy recognition be?
  • How could a formal policy recognition help secure federal resources and support for Native language revitalization?
• How could the National Plan support the integration of Native language revitalization into mainstream society, e.g., school curriculum, immersive learning, early and adult education, federal and state policies, signage, etc.?
• How could the National Plan stimulate and facilitate access to financial support for Native language revitalization (including federal, state, and philanthropic funding)?

The National Plan will establish a long-term, all-of-government strategy that works with Tribal Nations and, as appropriate, nonprofit organizations, subject matter experts, and other entities for the revitalization, protection, preservation, and reclamation of Native languages. Attached for your review and comment is a summary of research that may inform the development of the National Plan.

Dates and registration information:

• Monday, September 18, 3–5 p.m. ET    Registration Link
• Wednesday, September 20, 1–3 p.m. ET    Registration Link
• Tuesday, September 26, 3–5 p.m. ET    Registration Link
• Thursday, September 28, 2–4 p.m. ET    Registration Link

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to join the meeting. If you want to provide written input, please email your comments to NativeLanguage@kauffmaninc.com no later than September 29, 11:59 p.m. ET.

If you have any questions regarding the tribal consultation, contact the WHCNAA via whcnaa@bia.gov.

Sincerely,

Anthony Morgan Rodman
Executive Director
White House Council on Native American Affairs