Chukchansi Indian Tribe, Yosemite USD enter agreement to provide Chukchansi as foreign language

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- This overseas connection people successful the Yosemite Unified School District isn't your emblematic Spanish, French oregon German option.

At Yosemite High School, students person the accidental to larn however to talk Chukchansi.

"It's casual to learn. For me, it's similar going to kindergarten again," Sophomore Wyatt Lawhon said.

Many of the students, similar Wyatt, person a transportation to the Chukchansi Indian Tribe, but you don't person to person 1 to articulation the class.

Wyatt's mom, Kim Lawhon, is the instructor.

She worked with Fresno State Linguistics to make the curriculum.

A tribal subordinate herself, she's worked with different members to sphere the language.

"Out of each these years, we're down to conscionable a fistful of radical successful our full people that tin talk Chukchansi, particularly astatine a conversational level," Lawhon said.

The inaugural primitively started astir 20 years agone astatine the preschool level.

But without autochthonal speakers successful the location oregon continuing education, astir students would instrumentality a antithetic connection successful precocious school.

That's why, 3 years ago, the territory entered into an statement with the Chukchansi people to make a overseas connection people astatine the mediate and precocious schoolhouse level.

Interim manager for the tribe's acquisition department, Karen Wynn, says she's grateful the tribal assembly has made the concern into students.

"For them to person this vulnerability and this grooming is going to beryllium lone beneficial for the people of the future, truthful they tin proceed these connection experiences and proceed the reintroduction to immoderate of the families," Wynn said.

Previously, the people agreed to widen the committedness annually but this year, they signed connected for a three-year partnership.

That means students who started taking 'Chukchansi I' this twelvemonth arsenic a freshman volition person the accidental to instrumentality the connection each 4 years.

"In conscionable 3 much years, we'll person dozens much students who tin bring connection to their homes successful the community," Lawhon said.

While it tin assistance sphere the connection from going extinct, territory superintendent Brian beck says providing entree to thing different students successful the authorities don't person tin assistance acceptable students isolated successful assemblage oregon successful their career.

"It gives our students a competitory advantage, and it gives them much opportunities than possibly radical would deliberation are coming from specified a tiny schoolhouse present successful the Madera County upland community," Beck said.

The concern volition beryllium successful spot for astatine slightest the adjacent 3 years, but territory officials accidental they'll beryllium moving with the people to hopefully widen that narration again.

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