Esther Martinez Native American Languages Programs Reauthorization Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 256, the Esther Martinez Native American Languages Programs Reauthorization Act.

There are many critical needs in Indian Country, and the Federal Government has an obligation to fulfill our trust and Tribal responsibilities. This commitment includes reauthorizing the Esther Martinez Immersion grants so that Congress ensures Indian students have the opportunity to study, learn, and speak their Tribal languages.

The National Congress of American Indians says it best: A language ``encompasses and expresses a worldview shaped by centuries, in some cases tens of thousands of years of experience, knowledge, practices, spiritual beliefs, and relationships between a people, its neighbors, and its environment, which cannot be replicated in any other tongue.''

Language is paramount to one's identity. The gift of language allows a person to carry their culture from their ancestors to the present and on to the next generation to come.

Esther Martinez grants have empowered Tribes to establish immersion programs, making it possible for more Tribal communities to maintain their Native languages and pass along centuries-old cultural heritage.

These grants will benefit not only Native American Tribal Nations across the country but also Native Hawaiians, Native Alaskans, and Pacific Islander communities, giving them the ability to protect and rejuvenate indigenous languages.

Without urgent action to reauthorize these grants, too many communities risk losing the Native languages of their ancestors.

As chair emeritus of the Native American Caucus, I have worked to increase funding for Esther Martinez programs, and I will continue to make Native languages and their preservation and education a priority.

Mr. Speaker, as the 116th Congress moves forward, we must prioritize our Federal trust and treaty obligations. We must do so in a way that respects Native culture and strengthens Native communities. Reauthorizing the Esther Martinez Native American Language Preservation Act brings us one step closer to this goal.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation, and in the words of the Ojibwe, ``miigwech.''

Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota.

We are not here in this body to reauthorize feel-good programs. We are gathered here tonight not to reauthorize a feel-good program but to authorize a program that works, that makes a difference.

The evidence is clear. Students who participate in these programs, they do learn language skills. They also are more likely to graduate high school. They are more likely to have high academic achievement. They are more likely to be successful in their communities. That is what the data tells us. We cannot let up now.

These programs are working in a variety of States and a variety of communities. If we want a robust and healthy Native American culture in this country, we need to have a healthy and robust Native American language environment in this country. The Esther Martinez Native American Language Preservation Act is important, a critical component of that framework, of that environment.

I ask my colleagues, I beseech them tonight, to reauthorize this program that is doing so much good throughout our country. I urge a ``yes'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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