Image Source: W. P. Bliss, Josiah Butler Collection/Courtesy of the Oklahoma Historical Society
In Oklahoma, Native American tribes and public schools are working together to revitalize Indigenous languages like Comanche and Kiowa, in a powerful response to the cultural erasure caused by U.S. Indian boarding schools. These efforts are centered in places like Lawton, where high school students can now take courses in their tribal languages—an opportunity once unimaginable due to generations of forced assimilation.
Teachers like Martie Woothtakewahbitty are helping youth connect to their identity, history, and healing through language. Students report increased self-confidence, mental health benefits, and a stronger sense of cultural belonging. Despite proven benefits, world language credits are no longer required for graduation in Oklahoma due to recent legislative changes, raising concerns about long-term support for such programs.
Language classes at Lawton Public Schools are part of a wider movement: the number of students learning Native languages in Oklahoma has nearly tripled over the past decade. Thirteen Indigenous languages are now taught statewide. Still, challenges persist, including bureaucratic barriers to certifying Native language teachers and lack of funding tied to class sizes.
The trauma from federal boarding schools is still felt today—manifesting in high rates of mental health struggles among Native youth. But experts, like psychologist Jill Fish, say language learning can heal intergenerational trauma, restore identity, and empower youth to thrive in both modern and traditional worlds.
Students like Caden and Moriah share how these classes have transformed their lives and relationships with elders. Moriah, now learning Kiowa, speaks with her grandmother in their once-lost language—an act of cultural resilience and ancestral pride.
Ultimately, Oklahoma’s Native language programs are not just about language—they are about survival, healing, and reclaiming what colonization tried to erase.
Learn more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/language-lives-tribes-oklahoma-despite-230000600.html
