Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Speaks To Senate Committee About Tribal Languages

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. testified before a U.S. Senate committee Wednesday about the importance of preserving tribal languages.

The hearing discussed the Durbin Feeling Native American Languages Act, which is named for a Cherokee linguist. The bill would require federal departments to study ways to revitalize and preserve tribal languages.

Chief Hoskin said the tribe is doing everything it can to ensure the Cherokee language survives.

“Our efforts also harness technology. We partner with Microsoft, Apple, and Google to make sure that our language is accessible to a new generation of young people who want to speak the language,” Hoskin said.

The tribe broke ground last week on the new Cherokee Language Center in Tahlequah.