New Federal Memorandum Aims To Help Tribes Preserve Their Languages

The White House is launching a new effort to help tribes preserve their languages.

A memorandum signed on Monday directs the Department of Interior, Education, and others to identify ways to better research and retain tribal languages.

Cherokee nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin said the order will also knock down bureaucratic barriers tribes encounter when they ask for resources from Washington.

The memorandum also calls for an annual language summit with tribes from across the nation so they can discuss their language preservation techniques.