Kaax Kwhei Leona Santiago was in her late 40s when she received her Tlingit name. Brought up in the foster care system, she was away from her parents and siblings and did not learn the Tlingit language.
“Our generation, we weren’t taught the language because our grandparents’ and parents’ generation didn’t want us to be exposed to the abuse that they went through,” Santiago said last week.
Alaska Indigenous Language speakers of all ages, as well as language teachers and education specialists, discussed last week the challenges facing language preservation, the solutions available and the need for healing from trauma caused by language suppression. Discussions happened during the Elders and Youth Conference and the Alaska Federation of Natives convention.
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