Kickapoo chairman criticizes 'Official English' bill

Thursday, February 1, 2007  

Steve Cadue, the chairman of the Kickapoo Tribe of Kansas, linked an "Official English" bill being considered by lawmakers to cultural genocide against Native peoples.

"What group of people is next for such legislation?" Cadue told the House Veterans, Military and Homeland Security Committee, The Topeka Capital Journal. "When we enact this kind of bill, I think it's very dangerous."

Cadue said the bill, if enacted, will have a chilling effect on efforts to preserve Native languages. He said lawmakers should support "English Plus," to emphasize other languages.

After Cadue finished his testimony, the Republican lawmaker who is sponsoring the bill, praised his grasp of English. Rep. Don Myers's exact comments were not reported by the Topeka paper.

Get the Story:
English creates Capitol buzz (The Topeka Capital Journal 2/1)
pwlat
'Official English' bill draws crowd to committee hearing (The Lawrence Journal-World 1/31)

Relevant Links:
Indigenous Language Institute - http://www.indigenous-language.org

Related Stories:
Editorial: The fight to preserve the Navajo language (12/18)
Native language act signed into law by Bush (12/15)
Cherokee language appears on university team caps (12/12)
Native language bill finally clears Congress (12/8)
San Manuel Band hopes to save Serrano language (12/05)
Navajo Code Talkers lobby for Native language bill (11/14)
Dictionary to help preserve Han Athabaskan language (11/07)
Gathering celebrates Oklahoma tribal languages (10/24)
Celebration of Oklahoma Indian Language and Culture (10/19)
Eastern Band translates new book into Cherokee (10/03)
Tulalip Tribes lose last Lushootseed speaker (10/03)
Opinion: English comes first, not Native languages (9/27)
Esther Martinez language act up for House vote (09/25)
Man arraigned for crash that killed Pueblo storyteller (9/22)
Hundreds pay tribute to Pueblo storyteller, linguist (9/21)
Man charged with death of Pueblo storyteller (9/20)
Funeral for Esther Martinez set for Wednesday (9/19)
Esther Martinez, linguist and storyteller, dies at 94 (9/18)
Montana tribe uses technology to preserve languages (09/01)
House committee holds field hearing on languages (09/01)
House committee to hold field hearing on languages (08/30)
Oklahoma tribes work to preserve languages (08/29)
Pueblo woman keeps Tewa language, culture alive (08/28)
Eastern Cherokee Band to buy language translators (08/28)
Opinion: Native language preservation can't wait (8/28)
Pueblo woman wins National Heritage Fellowship (06/16)
Native languages slowly losing fluent speakers (7/28)
Arapaho elders certified to teach language (7/19)
Library of Congress to publish Zuni language works (7/13)
Eastern Cherokees work to preserve language (7/13)