Students in Yosemite Unified School District will continue to have an opportunity to learn the Chukchansi language.
The big picture: The Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians signed a three-year agreement with Yosemite Unified to offer Chukchansi language instruction.
- The deal continues the program that started in 2022, which operated on a year-to-year agreement.
- Students will be able to complete four years of instruction through the program as the Tribe makes an effort to sustain and revitalize its ancestral language.
Go deeper: Yosemite Unified teacher and Chukchansi Tribal Member Kim Lawhon has led the program through its three-year run.
- Lawhon will work with Fresno State to enhance the curriculum at Coarsegold Elementary School and Yosemite High School.
- The Tribe currently has several members that speak the language fluently, including elders Jane and Holly Wyatt, who have been strong supporters of the partnership with Yosemite Unified.
What they’re saying: “We are honored to continue supporting this program with YUSD, which keeps our language and traditions alive for future generations,” said Tracey Hopkins, Chairwoman of the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians. “Language is the foundation of our identity, and it is part of who we are as Indians. This partnership with YUSD ensures that the Tribe retains ownership of our language.”
- Hopkins said the program is a step toward reclaiming and strengthening the tribe’s cultural heritage.
- “By investing in our youth, we are securing the future of the Chukchansi people,” Hopkins said.
