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- By Neely Bardwell
On Saturday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order designating English as the official language of the United States.
"A nationally designated language is at the core of a unified and cohesive society, and the United States is strengthened by a citizenry that can freely exchange ideas in one shared language," the order said.
The executive order also rescinds a policy issued by former President Bill Clinton requiring agencies to provide assistance programs for people with limited English proficiency, but does not direct agencies to remove those programs, allowing agencies to voluntarily keep support systems like translated documents and services in place.
Before the issuance of the executive order, 30 states had already made English its official language. However, roughly one in ten people now speak a language other than English, more than triple the amount compared to 1980, according to 2022 data from the U.S. Census.
This is the first time in this nation’s history that one language has been designated as the official national language. The order comes at a time where tribal nations across the nation are working to revitalize and save their languages, the original languages of the land. In the “10-Year National Plan on Native Language Revitalization” released at the 2024 White House Tribal Nations Summit, the last of the Biden Administration, it states that if action is not taken, fewer than 20 Native languages may still be in use by 2050. Currently an estimated 167 languages are currently spoken.
On Christmas Eve 2024, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren signed long-awaited legislation to have the Navajo language used, taught and supported by appropriations. With his signature, Diné bizaad, is now the official language of the Navajo Nation.
“One of my priorities coming in as President has always been to make sure that we make Navajo cool again,” he said. “It's exciting to see the work that's being done. And, so, I commend the Navajo Nation Council for doing that, and I really want to commend all of you for doing that.”
In December 2024, the Cherokee Nation Cherokee Nation signed an agreement establishing a formal partnership between the tribe, Cherokee Film and federal entities, including the Department of the Interior, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the National Fund for Excellence in American Indian Education, hoping to advance language revitalization efforts through film and media.
Cherokee Film is aiding the Nation in preserving the Cherokee language while also promoting it on popular educational and entertainment platforms.
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