Every spring, the Oklahoma Native American Youth Language Fair (ONAYLF) brings together 600-800 students who are learning their Native languages. The Fair honors these students and their teachers by giving them an opportunity to publicly present their languages. The Fair celebrates language diversity in Oklahoma and the US. In addition to student and teachers, the Fair also involves the university community, tribal communities, families, and over 100 volunteers.  More about the goals and history of the Fair.

Students participate according to age in categories:

• Individual, small group, or large group Spoken Language Performance
• Individual, small group, or large group Song in Native Language 
• Language Masters Performance 
• Poetry Writing and Performance (NEW for 2012!)
• Spoken Language with PowerPoint 
• Poster Art on the yearly language theme 
• Book & Literature
• Film & Video 
• Language Advocacy Essay (in English)  
• More about the categories.

Students perform for elders and teachers who score the children on 1) amount of language used, 2) fluency, 3) spirit of the performance, and 4) stage presence. The top three performances in each age category receive a trophy that they can take back to their schools. Every child who participates receives a medal and a Fair T-Shirt, created by the winning artwork from the last year’s Fair.  More about our judges and the judging process.

We welcome back all students and teachers! If you are learning your language or passing on your language at home or in a classroom and have never come to the Fair, we invite you to the Fair. If you are just interested in knowing more about the beauty and diversity of Native languages in Oklahoma, please come by.  Your presence will support these dedicated youth and the continued use of all languages.

Registration is online!  Registering online is easy with step-by-step enrollment.  

Language Theme for 2012 Poster Art: Language in My Heart

Honoring Fair students at the State Capitol: April 9, 2012 - Students and teachers who have ever participated in the Fair will be honored by the American Indian Caucus at the state capital. Read more here.

Invited Guests for the 2012 Fair are poet and author Dr. Ofelia Zapeda, Miss Indian World Marjorie Tahbone, and comedian and visual artist Ryan Redcorn.

Over 20 languages are represented each year!

Apache, Arapaho, Cayuga, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Comanche, Coushatta, Dakota, Euchee (Yuchi), Hasinai (Caddo), Hochunk, Jiwere (Otoe), Kanza (Kaw), Keres, Kickapoo, Kiowa, Mohawk, Mvskoke (Creek), Navajo, Osage, Pawnee, Pima, Prairie Band Potawatomi, Sauk, Seminole, Seneca, Shawnee, Shoshone, Ute, Wichita, and Zuni.

Nowhere else can more Oklahoma Native languages be heard!

Click here to view this year's prestigious guests!