Facebook Twitter Email
FEBRUARY 16, 2001

Arizona Attorney General Janet Napolitano on Thursday released a legal opinion concluding that the state's anti-bilingual education law will not affect instruction in tribal languages.

Proposition 203 was passed by voters last fall and replaces bilingual education with a one-year intensive English course. Its supporters say it was directed at Spanish speakers but one of its main proponents said Indian children shouldn't learn their own languages because they were being held "prisoner" by Indian culture.

Nevertheless, Napolitano said Proposition 203 doesn't apply to tribal or federal schools on reservations. Napolitano also said public schools who provide classes in Indian languages can continue to do so.

Get the Story:
Sheriff's office investigating allegations of abuse at Head Start (The Arizona Republic 2/15)
You may have to register to view Arizona Republic stories. If you do not want to sign up, use the username IndianzCom and password indianz.com (all in lowercase, include the ".") to view the site.

Get the AG Opinion:
Application of Proposition 203 to Schools Serving the Navajo Nation (Ariz Atty Gen I01-006 (R00-062))