Udall visits Mescalero Schools to talk language preservation

U.S. Senator Tom Udall speaks with Jennie Pea's fourth-grade
Apache classroom. (photo by Duane Barbati, Daily News)

From the Alamogordo Daily News - By Harold Oakes - MESCALERO -- Some of the things U.S. Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) heard during his visit to Mescalero Apache Schools Wednesday were in a language he does not understand but is working to save. Udall visited first-grade, fourth-grade and middle school Apache language classes and greeted the children with "What's the news?" in Apache, which brought giggles from the children. Before his visit to the classrooms and a question-and-answer session in the auditorium with all the students, Udall sat down with Mescalero Apache President Fredrick Chino, three members of the tribal council and school officials to discuss programs to preserve the Apache language. "I believe for you to retain your culture, for you to hold on to your culture you have to retain your language. If you don't do that, the culture slowly disappears," Udall said. Chino said the Apache language has been disappearing. "Back in 1960 they did a study on the Mescalero Apache Reservation about the Apache language," Chino said. "At that time 99 percent spoke the language. In 1990 they did the study again and the number who spoke Apache was down to 30 percent." Tribal council member Freddie Kaydahzinne said in 2000 the number of Apache speakers on the reservation was down to 25 percent. Read more

Udall visits Mescalero Schools to talk language preservation