We Revive Our Future Native American Heritage Month

We Revive Our Languages – Our Heritage, Our Future
Native American Heritage Month | The Voices That Still Speak

Every November, Native American Heritage Month is more than a time to reflect on our traditions, it’s a moment to reclaim the voices of our ancestors and strengthen our presence. This month, we honor the cultures and histories of Native peoples across the United States, celebrating our resilience, contributions, and enduring traditions.

As we remember the wisdom of our elders and the stories they shared, we also celebrate the languages that have survived. These languages are alive, breathing through us, and are a vital part of our identity, echoing the strength and spirit of our people.

The Strength of Our Language, The Power of Our Heritage

When we speak our language, we are not just sharing words, we are connecting with our ancestors. We are carrying forward the stories, songs, and teachings that have been passed down for generations. Each word we speak holds the weight of our history, our struggles, and our triumphs. And as we reclaim our languages, we reclaim our identity.

Today, there are over 150 Native languages still spoken across North America, but many are critically endangered. According to the 2016 U.S. Census, fewer than 250,000 people speak a Native language fluently. 
- The Cherokee language has only around 2,000 fluent speakers, down from over 20,000 in previous generations.
- The Navajo language, once spoken by over 170,000 people, now has less than 140,000 speakers.
- The Menominee language is spoken by fewer than 50 people
- And the Zuni language has around 10,000 speakers.
These numbers show the lasting impact of residential schools, where Native languages were suppressed and nearly erased.

A Personal Journey: My Grandfather’s Silent Struggle

My grandfather once told me how, as a child, he was sent to a boarding school far from home. There, he was punished for speaking the language of his people. Each time he whispered a word in his native tongue, the teachers would strike his hands and tell him, “Speak English! your words mean nothing here.” 
So he stopped speaking. But he never forgot.
He carried those words in silence, waiting for the day they could be spoken freely again.

That day is now. My grandfather taught me the stories of our people, the words of our ancestors, and the songs that carry our spirit. Through him, I learned not only to honor our language, but to fight for it. Our language is the heartbeat of our identity, and I will never allow it to die. I will speak it, teach it, and pass it down, just as my grandfather passed it to me.

Together, We Are Reviving Our Language and Culture

The fight to revive our language is a fight to preserve our culture. It’s about reclaiming our voice, and by doing so, we reclaim our heritage. But this is not a fight that can be won by one person or one generation alone. We need each other, elders, young people, communities to ensure that our languages continue to live.

Our Heritage, Our Voice

Let us honor our heritage, not just by remembering the past, but by actively working to ensure our future. Let us continue to speak our language, share our traditions, and celebrate our culture. Every word we speak, every story we tell, and every craft we create is a part of the legacy we are building together.

This Heritage Month, let’s come together as a community, to speak our languages, to honor our ancestors, to sing our songs, to dance our dances, and to celebrate the unique art forms that have been passed down through the generations. Our culture is alive in the rhythm of our drums, in the movement of our feet, and in the stories we share around the fire. These are the expressions that keep our spirit strong. 

We must not only preserve the language but also ensure that our songs, dances, and ceremonies continue to thrive. Through music, through dance, and through our hands, we carry forward the essence of our identity.

We are still here. We have always been here. 
And our languages — our heritage — will never be silenced again.

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