Another view on SB 130

Pending state legislation to create an Alaska Native Language Preservation and Advisory Council continue to draw attention. While much of the testimony has been supportive, Kodiak Radio station KMXT reports that some remain skeptical of state involvement in Native language efforts. They cite the following statements by persons involved with language efforts in Kodiak:

"I'm fearful of something new coming in to what's already established unless it's going to make it a stronger foundation."
--Irene Coyle

"I guess there's just a need for more information if this is going to move forward at the local community level what effect would this have on the local communities, I think that's the worry. That it wouldn't be fully representative or that it would be powerless or that it would be somehow used to have more oversight over what the local communities are doing when we feel like we kind of know what direction we want to go in."
--April Laktonen Counceller

These are important concerns, and should the Advisory Council be created it will be crucial to ensure that it is truly representative. It will also be crucial that we not invest too much hope in such a body. The real work of language revitalization must still be grass roots, on-the-ground work. A state-wide council can't do that sort of work; it can merely serve as a conduit giving local efforts a clear voice at the state level.

The KMXT piece implies that I am an optimist, and I guess that's true. The creation of an Advisory Council is in many ways a symbolic gesture which will have little real effect on grass roots efforts. But it is an important piece of symbolism which puts Native languages on a better footing within the state.