Do you think there should be a provision for Native American languages?

Question

I do, . I think a provision should be made for Native American languages. I have a problem with Press # 2 for Spanish and I think this is what the law is aimed towards.

Read below ~


Legislation to make English the state's official language has run into opposition from American Indians, who say their native tongues are dying fast enough without any help from lawmakers.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070314/ap_on_re_us/english_only

Answer 1

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I was born in Oklahoma and I don't know any Cherokee that don't speak English. YES I strongly believe that the native languages need to be preserved. But I cant see how making English ,Oklahoma's official language would have any affect at all on the continued teaching of native languages. I live in Arizona and our state made English the official language and no names of city's etc were changed .That wouldn't happen.
85% of Americans speak English,it is our nations language,tho not official.. Our government conducts its business in English. Out laws are in English.
Making English the official language of Oklahoma would have no effect on the Cherokee or any other people in that state.

Answer 2

I think English should be our official language but if we are going to demand that our students speak another language as well, then it should be the languages of the Native American Indian. I would not be offended if I had to press two for Native American Indian (and I realize there are more than a few Indian languages). I am extremely offended that Spanish is offered and that most of our signs are now in English and Spanish. These law breaking illegal immigrants and their sons and daughters deserve absolutely nothing from U.S. Citizens. Oh, and incidentally, after re-reading the Constitution of the United States of America, illegal immigrants have no rights. The rights are expressly for Citizens!

Answer 3

The true Native and official languages of this country are not English. English is the language of the oppressors. Why make the language of oppressors official? Native languages were disrupted severely by this population. This occurred primarily during the boarding school period when Native children were kidnapped and forced to attend White Christian boarding schools. If they were caught speaking their language they would be beat. Sometimes they would get their tongue pierced or their fingertips cut off. So why are we trying again to make Natives speak English? This is proof of continued oppression! Native people should be able to speak there own language as the official language, this is their land.

I am a Native woman. I think to make the English language official is preposterous and another form of institutionalized racism!!!!!

EDIT: After reading many posts I want to say that many people responding on here are not speaking from education. They are speaking from ignorance. They obviously do not know how such laws affect people outside their own culture.
Why don't we focus on more education instead of making oppressive laws?

Answer 4

No, there should not be. Either there is dominant culture or there is not. If not, then how can there be any real values or traditions to follow? If we continue to cater to every special interest group and accept that every idea is worthy of being granted special status then ultimately no idea will have any value. There must be certain catgegorial imperatives that cannot be amended, without them no culture will survive for very long. People need to grow up and understand that people are not equal in all things and that at times bad things happen. Rather than soothing the inner child most people simply need a boot to the butt and some verbal encouragement to cut the c**p. Bottom line, this is the USA, here we speak English. Press one for English or hang up. Don't like it, deal with it on your own time.

Answer 5

Sure, indigenous languages are dying all over the world and should be preserved, but Native Americans are sovereign nations, that's why they get to have casinos in states where gambling is outlawed. If they want to protect their dying languages, they should do it among their children. The rest of us would not know the first thing about Navaho or Sioux language and would almost never have the need to know. That's just reality. We cannot accomodate everybody, that is just a practical issue.

Answer 6

you're suitable! So forget approximately approximately each and all the ignorant communicate right here. And whether i can not remark on all Indigenous countries, in Canada some First countries (no longer all) enable room for human beings from any Aboriginal u . s . a . interior the Americas (inclusive of North, suitable, South and the Caribbean) to qualify as probationary and at last finished contributors. specific Indigenous countries stay in the two Mexico and what's now the U.S. e.g., the Apache. maximum Latinos are Mestizos (blended) maximum folk having a number of of Aboriginal ancestry.

Answer 7

I think English SHOULD be the "official" language of the United States, since English is what the MAJORITY of Americans understand/speak (INCLUDING Native Americans!!). English is the "common" language spoken here.
But, i think Native Americans should be free to speak in any language that they choose, in their own personal life.

ALSO, i think ALL road/advertising signs,documents,and business, need to be in English ONLY!! We can NOT print all documents,signs,etc in 50 different languages to accommodate EVERY nationality here!!!! Otherwise we would have to print signs in not ONLY English, but also in German, French, Chinese,Japanese,Farsi, Italian, Russian,etc,etc!!!

Do you even SEE how EXPENSIVE this would be?? It's RIDICULOUS!!!

There needs to be ONE common language used in this country, and as i said, the majority of people here speak and understand ENGLISH!!

A country devided against ITSELF, can NOT stand!!! And, that is EXACTLY what this ILLEGAL immigration thing is doing!!

Answer 8

Honestly...I don't care just means I have to learn one more language if I need to comunicate with them...I don't have business with them so no biggie I always learn the language that I will have some business with so no biggie...Spanish should never be a second language Always English should be...Who wants to live here should learn English or go with out improving their life...Is not the US problems if they can't comunicate...

Answer 9

Personally, with English being the main language our country is based on anyhow, I see no reason to waste money (probably lots somehow) by having to have it on paper as the "official" language. It's already official by the extent of it's use...

Answer 10

This is a good reason to NOT have an official language! We should not let languages die out! It will not hurt us to have more than one language here in the US. Im willing to learn more to compensate.