State Rep. Andi Story, D-Juneau, explains during Wednesday’s floor session how a bill she is sponsoring will add to the number of Alaska Native languages officially recognized by the state and expand the role of a Native language preservation council. The bill passed by a 37-1 vote and is scheduled to get an immediate hearing by a Senate committee Thursday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

State Rep. Andi Story, D-Juneau, explains during Wednesday’s floor session how a bill she is sponsoring will add to the number of Alaska Native languages officially recognized by the state and expand the role of a Native language preservation council. The bill passed by a 37-1 vote and is scheduled to get an immediate hearing by a Senate committee Thursday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Alaska Native language expansion passes House

Bill by Juneau lawmaker adds more officially recognized dialects, expands preservation council’s role

This article has been updated to correct the portion of the state represented by Rep. David Eastman.

A bill by a Juneau legislator adding three Alaska Native languages to those officially recognized by the state, and expanding the size and role of an Alaska Native language council, passed the state House with a single dissenting vote Wednesday.

House Bill 26 by Democratic Rep. Andi Story adds two members to the five-member Alaska Native Language Preservation and Advisory Council, with the intent of allowing “greater language representation on the Council and (increasing) the involvement of a great number of Native language speakers from different regions of the state,” according to her sponsor statement. It also simplifies the name to the “Council for Alaska Native Languages.”

Furthermore, it adds Cup’ig and Wetał (Ts’etsa’ut) as official languages of Alaska, and divides Tanana into the Benhti Kokhwt’ana Kenaga’ (Lower Tanana) and Sahcheeg xut’een xneege’ (Middle Tanana) languages.

“The bills seeks to add languages that were unintentionally omitted when Indigenous languages of Alaska were added to the list of official languages in 2014,” Story said during Wednesday’s floor debate.

[Senate passes bill recognizing Juneteenth]

The renaming of the council goes beyond a simpler title, inferring the organization’s broader purpose, she added.

“Right now the council’s name just reflects preservation of languages,” Story said. “They do much more work about restoring and revitalizing languages.”

The council also requested two additional members who are Alaska Native speakers because there are 23 Indigenous languages in the state and thus more expertise is needed, she said.

An amendment to remove Wetał (Ts’etsa’ut) as a recognized language was offered by Rep. David Eastman, a Wasilla Republican, who said a report by the council noted the dialect is no longer spoken.

“In fact the last time is was spoken was sometime either in the late 1920s or early 1930s,” he said. “I just think there’s probably room for recognizing historically spoken languages in Alaska and perhaps there should be a list for all the languages that were at one time or another that were spoken here, but to add this language to our currently recognized legal list of official language seems a bit out of character.”

Several legislators spoke against the amendment, including Story, who served as a member of the advisory council and said the group wants official recognition of the dormant language in the hope it might be revived, as has happened in modern times with at least one other Alaska Native language.

“One of the children of their great, great grandfather or grandmother might want to bring this language back,” she said.

The amendment by Eastman, who has drawn criticism from Alaska Native leaders several times for statements they called discriminatory, was defeated by a 37-1 vote. The bill subsequently passed by the same vote.

The bill is tentatively scheduled to get an immediate hearing by the Senate State Affairs Committee at 3:30 p.m. Thursday.

• Contact reporter Mark Sabbatini at mark.sabbatini@juneauempire.com

More in News

The Norwegian Bliss arrives in Juneau on Monday, April 14, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
Ships in port for the week of May 12

This information comes from the Cruise Line Agencies of Alaska’s 2024 schedule.… Continue reading

Lupita Alvarez, a teacher at Montessori Borealis Children’s House, testifies at a Juneau Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, May 13, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
Educators, the ‘backbone of our schools,’ are breaking

Teachers say district contract counteroffer with less pay sends the message they should leave.

Eaglecrest Ski Area Board President Mike Satre (left) confers with Juneau Assembly member Christine Woll during an Assembly Finance Committee meeting Wednesday, May 14, 2025, at City Hall. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Assembly’s budget deep dive: Debate spans from $3M to support Eaglecrest to $2,000 for veterans’ events

City leaders spend marathon evening seeking to resolve notable items during year when funds are short.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
Police calls for Tuesday, May 13, 2025

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
Police calls for Monday, May 12, 2025

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

A sign for a store that accepts food stamps and exchange benefits transfer cards is seen in this 2019 photo. (Scott Heins/Getty Images)
Alaska gives food stamp recipients’ personal information to federal officials

Data sharing part of nationwide request by Trump administration; appears to be targeting migrants.

Rep. Jeremy Bynum, R-Ketchikan, speaks to Rep. Calvin Schrage, I-Anchorage, during a vote on amendments to the state’s capital budget on Monday, May 12, 2025. (James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
Amid budget struggle, Alaska has little money for new construction or renovation

State’s capital budget about to pass Legislature with no projects for individual legislators’ districts.

Sen. Bert Stedman, R-Sitka, at center, sits among senators during a joint session of the Alaska Legislature on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
Most Alaskans nominated for state boards and commissions get Legislature’s approval this year

One nominee was rejected on a 0-60 vote, which may be a first for the Alaska Legislature.

A person uses a garden hose in an effort to save a neighboring home from catching fire during the Eaton Fire on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, California. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Dozens of members of Congress from both parties plead with Trump to unfreeze FEMA grants

Sen. Murkowski part of group drafting letter urging FEMA to begin spending already OK’d by Congress.

Most Read