Honoring of Students Learning their Native Languages

April 9, 2011

Watch this page for updates on the Capitol Honoring Event!
We will post the exact time of the Proclamation and the text.

The American Indian Caucus of the Oklahoma House of Representatives will be honoring the students, teachers, and families who are continuing to learn and speak their Native languages by participating in the Oklahoma Native American Youth Language Fair. In other words, the state legislature is honoring YOU!

The Steering Committee of the Oklahoma Native American Youth Language Fair would like to invite all teachers, students, their families, our judges and volunteers to the Oklahoma State Capitol on Monday afternoon, April 9, 2012 (one week after the Fair). The honoring event has two parts:

  • Students can present their Fair performances (spoken language, song, poetry) on the 4th floor of the rotunda for the public. This space will be available all afternoon for you to share with more Oklahomans the beauty and importance of Native languages. We encourage students to wear traditional regalia or dress, or to wear Language Fair T-Shirts.
  • Hear a representative from the Indian Caucus read a Proclamation in the Oklahoma House of Representatives honoring your hard work and dedication.

We want everyone who has participated in the Fair to be honored at this event! Students from past years are also encouraged to come!

We realize that many of teachers and families may have limited funds for field trips, and that you use most of your funds to get to the Fair itself. We have raised additional money this year that is specifically earmarked to make sure that you can come to the State Capitol honoring. We will have an easy Travel Fund Application form to fill out to request help in getting to the capitol. We can pay for bus transportation for public schools, official tribal transportation for tribal programs, and mileage for family programs. We are not able to cover any other additional expenses, such as food or overnight stay.

Here are the steps:
  1. Click here for the Travel Fund Application. The application form will ask for an approximate amount that your program will need and how many students and presentations you will have. Your application will be accepted or denied on the availability of funds, so please apply early to make sure you get funded!
  2. Complete your application for Travel Fund by March 12, 2011.
  3. Turn in an invoice to ONAYLF by May 15, 2011.