A meeting with tribal leaders focused on Native Language initiatives was held today by the White House Council on Native American Affairs (WHCNAA). The Native Languages Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), which was announced at the 2021 Tribal Nations Summit, called on the Departments of the Interior, Education, Health and Human Services, Agriculture, and seven other signatory agencies to address obstacles to the revitalization of Native languages and support the integration of Native language instruction and language into educational settings.
At the White House Tribal Nations Summit in 2021, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland pledged to gather her Cabinet colleagues three times annually to meet with tribal leaders to discuss the work of the WHCNAA and hear their comments, inquiries, and concerns. This meeting was the second in a series.
Secretary Haaland, co-chair of the WHCNAA with Ambassador Susan Rice, director of the Domestic Policy Council, presided over the meeting.
Interior’s Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Julie Chavez Rodriguez, and other senior administration officials attended the meeting for a discussion with tribal leaders on how to safeguard, preserve, and advance Native languages.
The Karuk, Yurok, and Hoopa Tribes are situated along the Klamath River, and the leaders met with them as well as the Klamath Tribal Council during a listening session. In meetings with the Klamath Water Users Association and the Klamath River Renewal Corporation, the Interior Department team also spoke with water users.
The White House Initiative on Achieving Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Native Americans and Strengthening Tribal Colleges and Universities, led by Secretaries Haaland, Cardona, and Walsh, as well as Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, was established by President Biden’s Executive Order 14049, which was the subject of today’s engagement session. Through a number of policy objectives, the Initiative aims to advance equity, excellence, and economic opportunity for Native people. Agency consultation with Tribes, Native Hawaiians, Alaska Natives, Tribal Colleges, and state, tribal, and local educational departments is required by this law.