Independent news from the Indigenous Media Freedom Alliance

Join letter-writing campaign urging Obama to sign order on Native language revitalization

An exhibit including a display of the tribal flags from the Cheyenne River, Crow Creek, Oglala, Rosebud, Sisseton Wahpeton, Standing Rock and Yankton Sioux Tribes. (Rapid City Journal File photo)

by Basla Andolsun
of the Falmouth Institute

The Linguistic Society of America is organizing a letter-writing campaign to President Obama, urging him to support Native languages. The President’s administration has drafted, with assistance from Native American leaders, an Executive Order on Native American Language Revitalization. If signed, the Order would coordinate and mobilize federal agencies toward the goal of language revitalization, while strengthening existing language revitalization programs.

The below information from Carol Genetti, Chair of LSA’s Committee on Endangered Languages and their Preservation, details how you can show your support.

If you are interested in signing the letter, or in writing a letter of your own to send, there are 3 ways to do it:

1. Simple, effective, and really fast:

-Go to http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact

-Fill out the form. In the drop-down list for the Subject box, select
“Education.”

-In the message box, copy and paste the letter found at the bottom of
our webpage http://lsacelp.org/take-action/ and type your name at the end.

-Solve the captcha by typing the word or phrase given in the box. Press send, and you’re done!

2. More effective and almost as fast:

-Copy and paste the letter found at http://lsacelp.org/take-action/ into a word processor such as Microsoft Word.

-Type today’s date at the top of the letter.

-Print it out and sign it.

-Mail it to:
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500

3. Most effective:

Write your own letter in your own words. Let President Obama and the Whtie House know why this issue is important to you!

-Use the link above to send your letter electronically, or print and sign your letter and mail it to the White House.

Jodi Rave Spotted Bear

Jodi Rave Spotted Bear is the founder and director of the Indigenous Media Freedom Alliance, a 501-C-3 nonprofit organization with offices in Bismarck, N.D. and the Fort Berthold Reservation. Jodi spent 15 years reporting for the mainstream press. She's been awarded prestigious Nieman and John S. Knight journalism fellowships at Harvard and Stanford, respectively. She also an MIT Knight Science Journalism Project fellow. Her writing is featured in "The Authentic Voice: The Best Reporting on Race and Ethnicity," published by Columbia University Press. Jodi currently serves as a Society of Professional Journalists at-large board member, an SPJ Foundation board member, and she chairs the SPJ Freedom of Information Committee. Jodi has won top journalism awards from mainstream and Native press organizations. She earned her journalism degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

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