Delphine Red Shirt. Photo by Rich Luhr / Flickr
Teacher Certification Exceptions for Fluent Speakers
By Delphine Red Shirt
Lakota Country Times Columnist
lakotacountrytimes.com Almost sixteen years ago, Congress passed Public Law 101-477 preserving, protecting, and promoting Native American languages in the U.S. It allowed all tribes to act and give official status to their own language for conducting tribal business. At Pine Ridge, it would mean, if we took on fully the meaning of the law, that we could conduct all of our business in Lakota. Imagine what would happen? If everyone in tribal government was required to speak or know Lakota. Even though a decade and a half have passed, not many of us understand what it really means and how it can help us today, save our languages that are fast disappearing. World-wide we see the repercussions of what happens when Indigenous languages and cultures disappear completely. In South America where Indigenous peoples in places like Brazil where the 2016 Olympics were held are a true minority, numbering at 817,000 or 0.4% of Brazil’s population. Where instead of listing the Indigenous languages, the language listed is Portuguese. In the U.S. laws like Public Law 101-477 help us to preserve, protect, and promote our languages. If you read the provisions to the law, an important stipulation is that it allows “exceptions to teacher certification requirements for Federal programs, and programs funded in whole or in part by the Federal Government, for instruction in Native American languages when such teacher requirements hinder the employment of qualified teachers who teach in Native American languages, and to encourage State and Territorial governments to make similar exceptions”. For me, when I read that provision, I think about states like California where if you are a fluent speaker, the state mirrors this stipulation that allows a fluent speaker to teach in the classroom in any state school. In California, fluent speakers are hard to come by. Most times, tribes are learning through linguists the basic grammar and pronunciation guides to figure out how their language might sound. In South Dakota, we are NOT that bad off, yet. But, we need to allow fluent Lakota speakers in the classrooms now. When they are in the classroom, use them, allow them to teach in natural ways. They know best how the language sounds, how the different genders speak the language, and how best to teach second language learners because they had to learn English at some point in their lives. Let them show you ways to use the language outside the classroom, the way they use it at home.
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Among our own people, we are always looking at experts (quote unquote)to show us the way, and we are often mislead. It’s like, just when you think you know, someone else comes along and tells you, you have to buy their product to do it right. Today, there are many "products" on the market to teach Lakota. Yet, we know, through laws, like Public Law 101-477, that the federal government is there to support us. And if we, ourselves, encourage each other to know our rights, we can move forward without a lot of distraction from outsiders. If you doubt it, look at what happened with Black Elk’s Peak where even when the state was dragging its feet, the Federal government stepped in and renamed the Peak after input from tribal members across the state. So, let’s get started this fall. Find fluent speakers in your communities, on your reservations, and bring them into the classrooms. They would appreciate the employment opportunity, I'm sure. They don’t need certification or to go through classes to teach (refer to Public Law 101-477). Bring them in and let them teach it using the techniques they use or they were taught with. They might need support in material development and that’s where other teachers can mentor. But, the real learning occurs when real Lakota teachers enter the classroom. In the race against the loss of Lakota, we need to begin now. (Delphine Red Shirt can be reached at redshirtphd@gmail.com) Find the award-winning Lakota Country Times on the Internet, Facebook and Twitter and download the new Lakota Country Times app today.
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