In her article written a few years after the passage of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation, Susan Roberta Katz wrote, "In the future, any country which does not make proper provisions for the support of lesser-used and indigenous languages may be regarded as an irresponsible destroyer of the world's cultural resources" (as quoted in Ensign, 2014, 3/12/14 section).

Although the specifics have changed in the U.S. regarding No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and the more recent Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the lack of appreciation for lesser-used and indigenous languages continues in our society. In some nations, it has gone from deliberate suppression and attempts to destroy indigenous languages and cultures to what can be termed a "benign neglect" along with claims of the lack of resources to meet the needs of any groups except the large ones.

Use the questions to guide

• Why is language a cultural resource?
• Where do you perceive that your school, state, or nation is located on the continuum from suppression to benign neglect to active revival and maintenance of language support for ALL languages, including lesser-used and indigenous languages? Why?
• What suggestions do you have for your school, state, or nation?