FEATURED NEWS

April 13, 2021 | Politico

The news of Maxine Wildcat Barnett’s Covid hospitalization in November shook the Yuchi community of Sapulpa, a small Oklahoma city named after its first settler, a Creek Native American. At 95, Barnett is the last tribal elder who speaks the Yuchi language fluently — which means she’s one of the few remaining links to a culture her tribe is fighting to preserve.

Barnett eventually recovered, but her illness exacerbated fears the language would become extinct — something the Yuchi Language Project is pushing to prevent from happening.

Last month, lawmakers on the Hill responded by incorporating $20 million for Native American languages into the latest coronavirus relief package, something that hadn’t been addressed in previous iterations of aid. The funding is part of more than $31 billion headed for Indian Country, which Senate Indian Affairs Chair Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) billed as “the biggest one-time investment in U.S. history” for Native communities.


April 15, 2021 | JNCL Announcement

The J. David Edwards Power of Advocacy Award is an annual award sponsored by Avant Assessment and presented at JNCL-NCLIS' Language Advocacy Day. Each year, JNCL-NCLIS recognizes one language advocate in the field who has exhibited excellence in grassroots advocacy. The Language Advocate of the Year recipient demonstrates leadership and resilience through designing and/or executing inclusive advocacy initiatives at the local, state, and/or federal level. The Language Advocate of the Year recipient also inspires stakeholders and directly engages with decision-makers to further the mission of JNCL-NCLIS: to ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to learn English and at least one other language.

All individuals belonging to a JNCL-NCLIS member organization in good financial standing (paid JNCL-NCLIS annual dues by September 1st) are eligible to be nominated for this award. All member organizations in good financial standing are eligible to nominate an individual for this award.

All complete nomination packets submitted by September 13th, 2021 will be considered for this award.

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

“Community-based heritage language schools and Native American schools are all part of the national language-learning landscape. When we talk about languages, about language learning, and about opportunities to develop proficiency, we need to include these schools and groups. So far, that rarely happens.”

What is your linguistic and cultural heritage? Joy Peyton of the Coalition of Community-Based Heritage Language Schools has some insights for you to consider in this podcast.

PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Date: April 21, 2021

Interpreters are frequently called upon to interpret for IEP meetings and other activities involving students with disabilities in public schools. This presentation will provide a basic overview of the structure and process of special education services for students with disabilities and the roles of interpreters within that system, focusing on the federal laws and Supreme Court cases that underpin the special education systems in all states and aspects that vary across state.

FEDERAL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
Notice ID: DOIAFBO210066
Agency: INTERIOR, DEPARTMENT OF THE
Office: INDIAN EDUCATION ACQUISITION OFFICE
Location: N/A
Response Date: April 18th 2021
Notice ID: 36C26021Q0390
Agency: VETERANS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF
Office: 260-NETWORK CONTRACT OFFICE 20 (36C260)
Location: N/A
Response Date: April 16, 2021
FRIDAY, APRIL 16th, 2021 ISSUE
Disclaimer: The articles and news sources included in NewsBrief are not endorsed by, directly affiliated with, maintained, authorized, or sponsored by JNCL-NCLIS. The views and opinions expressed in the articles in this NewsBrief are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer or company.