A brief history of language and cultural specialists in the state of Montana—Class 7 testing

Abstract

In 1995, the Montana Office of Public Instruction supported the Class 7 Indian language and culture specialist license to allow experts in Indigenous languages/cultures identified and certified by their respective tribal nations, to teach in K-12 public schools. This article uses the example of a Class 7 certification process on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. With approximately 500 speakers, this process provides an opportunity for other language groups to emulate or modify it to fit their own language situation. If a language group has fewer fluent speakers and they are in their 80s, then perhaps a different process would be beneficial.

Keywords:

• Indigenous languages
• policy
• revitalization
• qualification testing

Public Interest Statement

When the U.S. Government acted to silence Indigenous languages, it was acknowledging how those languages empowered and united Indigenous people. Keeping Indigenous languages alive is challenging because all Indigenous languages across the United States are endangered. In fact, the 11 Indigenous languages in Montana are all critically endangered. How and why it is important to save these languages is an ongoing discussion. This article contributes to this conversation by explaining efforts in Montana to certify, place, and support Indigenous language and culture teachers in classrooms across the state in order to preserve these languages.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Richard E. Littlebear

Dr Richard E. Littlebear was born on the Northern Cheyenne. Reservation in Montana and grew up in Busby, Montana. He holds degrees from Bethel College in Kansas and Montana State University and received his doctorate degree in education from Boston University in 1994. He is President and Interim Dean of Cultural Affairs at Chief Dull Knife College located on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. Littlebear actively promotes bilingualism, advocating for bilingual education on a local, state, national and international level. He encourages the continued oral, written and reading usage of the Cheyenne language specifically, and of all Indigenous languages generally. He considers learning to read and write the Cheyenne language—his first language—as his greatest academic achievement. Littlebear was recognized during the 2015 Montana Governor’s Humanities Awards Ceremony. “{He} has shown unstinting support for Native American educational efforts and for the revitalization of all Indigenous languages, but especially the Cheyenne language.”