House panel advances Alaska Native language task force bill

The House Education Committee heard testimony May 4, 2026, on a bill to create a legislative task force examining Alaska Native language preservation, with Representative Andi Story describing the state's language situation as a crisis despite ongoing revitalization efforts.

House Bill 387 would establish the Joint Legislative Alaska Native Languages Academic Task Force to review academic activities related to Alaska Native languages through December 2027. The task force would examine the 52-year-old Alaska Native Language Center statute and recommend updates for teacher recruitment and linguistic research. The House Education Committee sponsors the bill.

The committee also heard testimony from Joy Cogburn-Smith, the governor's appointee to the State Board of Education and Early Development for District 2, before taking up HB 387.

Story said the comprehensive review is needed now.

"I think what is really important is 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," Story said. "There is a lot of good research going on. There is a lot of good efforts going on across the state. And in many ways revitalization is happening."

The bill would direct the task force to evaluate approaches to linguistic research, assess risks to preservation of Alaska Native language research, examine partnership opportunities, and recommend strategies to ensure growth in language teachers and recruitment of linguistic researchers.

Tisha Simmons, dean of the College of Indigenous Studies at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, testified that language revitalization efforts could always use more resources. She described the task force's agenda as substantial.

"I was listening to the bill. I think the bill is put together really beautifully. But as I was listening, I was thinking, wow, that is a huge agenda to go forward with," Simmons said.

Simmons told the committee that UAF has expanded online course offerings since the pandemic, with almost all Alaska Native language classes now available by distance. The university offers courses in multiple Alaska Native languages, including Yup'ik, with both distance and in-person options.

Representative Rebecca Schwanke asked about resources and policies the university has implemented to expand courses to students across the state, noting that many rural residents interested in language programs find it expensive to travel to Fairbanks for classes.

Simmons said the university is working to reduce costs by creating courses that do not require textbook purchases. She noted that 100-level courses are popular because they meet humanities requirements, but faculty are re-examining programs because students are not continuing to fourth-year courses.

The College of Indigenous Studies has been meeting regularly with partners including the Doyon Foundation, representatives from the Upper Tanana region, and schools in the Bethel region, Simmons said.

Co-Chair Rebecca Himschoot noted that when the Alaska Native Language Center was established 52 years ago, online learning platforms like Zoom did not exist.

"When this was written in whatever, 70, no, I am sorry, 52 years ago or whatever, nobody knew that Zoom was coming," Himschoot said.

The original mission of the Alaska Native Language Center included studying languages native to Alaska, developing literacy materials, assisting in translation of important documents, and training Alaska Native language speakers to work as teachers and aides in bilingual classrooms.

The committee heard no public testimony on the bill. The committee set an amendment deadline for Tuesday, May 5 at 3 p.m. The bill remains in committee.