Radio Script
1999

__________________

Yup'ik, Not English, Spoken Here
__________________

STORY: In Alaska's remote southwest corner, on a broad, marshy plain, lies the small Eskimo village of Tuntutuliak. Most of its roughly 380 residents speak English, but they prefer to speak their traditional Yup'ik language.

Tuntutuliak made history, and raised a few eyebrows, last December when its traditional council--its tribal government--passed a resolution that requires official business be conducted only in Yup'ik. The ban was in retaliation for passage of a statewide ballot that made English the state's official language.

Patrick Pavilla is the tribal administrator of Tuntutuliak.

PAVILLA: "Our Yup'ik language has been around from time immemorial and for someone to tell us that it's not our official language is just like me telling you that English is not your official language, and vote it out."

More than 60 percent of the state's mostly white, urban population voted to make English the state's official language last November. Under the measure, which becomes law on March 4th, all government activities must be conducted in English. Anchorage attorney Ken Jacobus represents Alaskans for a Common Language. He says the initiative is not anti-Native, but anti-government waste.

JACOBUS: "We would discourage the state from giving driver's license examinations in dozens of languages like they do in the Lower 48, and printing documents in dozens of languages. We would want to discourage that and have all the official business conducted in English."

Heather Kendall-Miller is an attorney with the Native American Rights Fund. She represents Alaska Natives who've filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of the measure under the state's constitution. She says the new law violates the free speech rights of Alaska Natives.

KENDALL-MILLER: "We believe the initiative is a very harmful, very hurtful initiative that goes beyond just declaring English the official language of the government. It goes beyond being symbolic in nature and actually says that government may only use English during the course of all government business. Now this is going to have consequences throughout Bush Alaska."

One of those consequences, she says, is that the law requires local government officials in rural Alaska to speak English, even though many of the people they represent do not.

KENDALL-MILLER: "Some of the plaintiffs that we are representing are city council members. They are city officials, city clerks. They do all kinds of activities in their official capacity using their Native language. So in order for them to have effective communication with each other, being able to communicate in their Native language is absolutely essential."

Ken Jacobus says the initiative is not intended to discourage the use of Native languages in Alaska. He says Native languages are specifically protected by federal law. Rather, he says, its intent is to make foreign immigrants speak a common language.

JACOBUS: "What's been happening in the Lower 48 is that a lot of money has been spent in ways that have had the effect of discouraging immigrants from learning English. So they're stuck in lower paying jobs and they are unable to communicate with one another if there's not common language."

Perhaps, so, but the consequences for Alaska Natives are dire, according to Heather Kendall-Miller.

KENDALL-MILLER: "This, essentially, is cultural genocide with respect to Alaska Native cultures. So to encourage people to give up their languages, or tell people essentially that you must stop speaking these languages and only speak English does a tremendous harm to the culture itself."

In a court hearing set for March 3 in the rural community of Dillingham, both sides will make their case for and against the new law. Until the matter is settled, tribal administrator Patrick Pavilla says that if you plan to visit Tuntutuliak, Alaska, you'd better brush up on your Yup'ik language skills, or hire an interpreter.

OUTRO: From the Sea Grant Program at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, this is Doug Schneider with Arctic Science Journeys.