While some Americans may be rejoicing with their family and friends this Thanksgiving, Native Americans are reminded that they have been ostracized from a land that was once theirs. Not only have their cultures and traditions been ridiculed as lousy Halloween costumes and mascots, but also they have been forced to assimilate to Euro-American ways, including adopting English.

The North Carolina Language and Life Project (NCLLP),documents the experience of Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians as they fight to keep the Cherokee language alive. The NCLLP documentary, First Language-The Race to Save Cherokee, interviews a man named Jerry. He recalls, “We were not allowed to speak our language in our school, we were banned from it”. Cherokee children in the U.S. education system were forced to speak a language some had never heard. As a bilingual speaker in the U.S , I had the privilege of learning English in a safe environment where I was not punished for speaking my first language. However, Cherokee children were not granted that privilege.

The following transcription depicts how The Cherokee were coerced into adopting English:

01  Davy: Growing up, I heard stories from my grandparents
02  about the boarding school and the push for assimilation.
03  Grandpa said he learned enough English in the first six
04  months to keep from getting a whipp::ing every day?

Davy’s grandfather had to learn English to avoid physical abuse from teachers for speaking his native language. As a result, many of the parents in his community decided to stop teaching the Cherokee language to their children to avoid further discrimination. The newer generation is growing up speaking English, while the older generation (majority Cherokee- speaking) are slowly passing away, taking their language with them.

So how can we help? We can help by creating an environment that is accepting and appreciative of diversity. The Cherokee are battling to keep their language alive as it plays a huge role in their culture. Native American heritage is American heritage. They have been marginalized for their culture, race, and language for so long. This must stop now! We can begin by raising awareness and having these conversations with our communities! Next, we can advocate for structural changes to the educational system, including funding programs that enable Cherokee language revitalization.