Native Languages & The Indian Education Act: Ep 21 of Crash Course Native American History

Quick Overview

Native American language fluency is critically endangered, with over 75% of U.S. Native American languages at risk of disappearing by 2050 due to centuries of assimilation policies like boarding schools, though current revitalization efforts, exemplified by the game "Never Alone" and language immersion programs in places like Hawaii, show positive outcomes like better test scores and stronger cultural connections.

Key Points: Over 75% of Native American languages in the U.S. are endangered, with projections suggesting over 90% could disappear by 2050 due to a lack of fluent speakers. Federal Indian boarding schools, established from the 19th century, forcibly separated children, cut their hair, and punished them for speaking their native languages as part of an assimilation effort. In 1900, 20,000 Native children were in U.S. boarding schools; this number jumped to 60,889 by 1925, with 83% of school-age children attending in 1926. The 1972 Indian Education Act returned control of federal boarding schools to tribal authorities, helping to combat the historical damage. Cultural revitalization efforts, like the game "Never Alone" (narrated in Inupiaq) and language immersion schools in Hawaii, show positive results, including better test scores and stronger cultural connections for students. The Navajo concept of Hózhó, meaning "all is at peace again," illustrates how language encapsulates a tribe's worldview, which is often lost through translation or assimilation.

Context: This video, part of the Crash Course Native American History series, explores the critical state of Native American languages in the United States, tracing the decline back to historical policies like forced attendance at federal boarding schools designed for cultural assimilation. The host, Che Jim, emphasizes that language is the foundation of culture and that losing a language means losing part of one's identity, highlighting current efforts to reverse this trend through cultural projects and education.