Along with English, Alaska’s indigenous languages now official

Alaska’s governor signed a bill on Thursday to officially recognise the State’s 20 indigenous languages in a symbolic move that gives a nod to tribal efforts to save Native American tongues which are at risk of dying out.

The move would make Alaska only the second U.S. State, after Hawaii, to officially recognise indigenous languages, although English would remain the official language and the State would not be required to conduct business in any other tongue.

“Alaska native young adults and students throughout the State have demonstrated remarkable success in revitalising Alaska Native languages,” Republican Governor Sean Parnell said in a statement. “This bill reinforces that effort and recognises the vibrant, existing Alaska Native languages of the State of Alaska.”

Mr. Parnell signed the bill in Anchorage to help kick off the Alaska Federation of Natives conference, the State’s largest annual gathering of indigenous people.

In April, the Legislature overwhelmingly passed the bill.

The law deliberately remains symbolic, featuring a provision that does not require the state or a municipal government to conduct business or government activities in languages other than English.

The number of people who can speak Alaska’s native languages has been shrinking rapidly, as generations of young Alaskans were discouraged and even punished for speaking them.

Few speakers left Some native languages have only a few dozen fluent speakers left, and others are down to a few hundred. In 2008, one of the State’s indigenous languages, Eyak, become extinct with the death of its last fluent speaker, Marie Smith.