Linguistic human rights for indigenous peoples in the USA

Linguistic human rights for the Indigenous peoples of the United States are critical to current efforts for Indigenous self-determination and sovereignty. Historically, the United States has violated these rights, especially by the English-only rules in boarding and day schools in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries that were part of a policy of forced cultural assimilation. This policy failed many Indigenous children, causing family divisions and a loss of traditional values designed to teach children how to live a good life. In the last half century Indigenous Nations in the United States have worked to pass laws supporting their Indigenous languages and to take control of the education of their children. Today, Indigenous language immersion schools are being established to teach children their ancestral languages and to promote traditional practices and beliefs that promote a healthy and good way of life.