The Barnes Committee Room at the Alaska Capitol erupted in cheers on Tuesday, as a panel of lawmakers unanimously moved a bill that would make 20 Alaska Native languages official state languages.

Alaska’s state Senate joins the House in urging Alaska Governor Bill Walker (pictured here in 2016) to recognize the decline of Alaska Native languages as an emergency.

X’unei Lance Twitchell teaches an advanced Tlingít course at University of Alaska Southeast on April 29, 2024. (Photo by Claire Stremple/Alaska Beacon) Before Monday evening’s advanced ...

Gov. Bill Walker has declared an emergency for Alaska Native languages, aiming to promote and preserve all 20 recognized Indigenous languages in the state.

The call to action from the Alaska Native Language Preservation and Advisory Council urges systemic reforms to the state’s support and integration of Native languages.

Alaska Native language expansion passes House Bill by Juneau lawmaker adds more officially recognized dialects, expands preservation council’s role by Mark Sabbatini Friday, May 5, 2023 1:10pm ...

Alaska Native languages were typically banned in schools in early statehood, so Twitchell said taking languages that were once prohibited and making them mandatory would be a great step for the state.

A group of Alaska Native educators developed reading standards for Alaska Native languages and presented them to the Alaska Board of Education and Early Development on Oct. 9.

Alaska Native languages are most likely to be extinct or dormant by the end of the 21st century unless action is taken to save them, a new report released by a committee of the state in the most ...

In 2018, Gov. Bill Walker signed A.O. 300, which recognizes a linguistic emergency for Alaska Native languages, which was a recommendation of the Council for Alaska Native Languages.

“Alaskan Native individuals whose first language is English have, through immersion programs, master-apprentice partnerships and some working individually, become proficient in their own Alaska ...