Alaska Native languages council to decide whether DEED staff can serve

The Council of Alaska Native Languages will decide whether Alaska Department of Education & Early Development employees can serve on the council when it meets Wednesday, Oct. 21, in Anchorage. The agenda also calls for electing a chair and vice chair and approving a revised 2026 biennial report to the governor and the Alaska State Legislature.

The council advises the governor and the Legislature on preserving, restoring and revitalizing Alaska Native languages, according to the department's council information page. Vacant seats on the council are on the agenda for discussion only.

The 2026 Biennial Report on Alaska Native Languages says the council represents more than 23 Alaska Native languages. The agenda proposes an annual December meeting to approve that report going forward. The council's next two meetings would be a virtual session Dec. 2 and an in-person session May 4, 2027, the day before the Alaska Native Language Summit at the Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center. A letter of support for the Alaska Native Language Center is also on the agenda.

"We really have a crisis in our Alaska Native languages here across the state in that we are not producing the speakers that we want to," Rep. Andi Story said at a May 4 House Education Committee hearing on a bill to create a legislative task force on the languages.

The meeting runs 9 to 11 am at the Dena'ina Center in Anchorage. The public notice on the Alaska Online Public Notices site lists Zoom access for readers who want to follow or testify remotely. Near the end, the agenda includes a public discussion titled "Indigenous Languages and Healing," followed by public testimony.

One discussion question is printed plainly on the agenda: "What support do you need in your language journey?"