Native American Heritage Day arrives each year as a moment of national reflection, amidst a season focused on gratitude. This recognition is a chance to consider the history of Indigenous peoples, and the enduring cultural contributions that continue to shape our country.
Among these are Native languages as repositories of memory, identity, and worldview. At a time when many of these languages face the threat of extinction, recent developments in education show that revitalization is not only possible, but happening—and in powerful ways.
Language is much more than a mere means of communication. It is a way of seeing the world, shaping how relationships are described, how responsibilities are expressed, and how stories, values, and wisdom are passed from one generation to the next.
The connection between language and identity is especially visible at Navajo Preparatory School in Farmington, New Mexico. Founded by the Navajo Nation in 1991, the school’s mission is Yideeską́ą́góó Naat’áanii—Leaders Now and into the Future.
Navajo Prep serves students from across the Navajo Nation, nearby urban centers, and other states such as Montana, Idaho, and South Dakota. Students come to the school to take four years of Diné language and culture courses, as well as the full Diploma Program (DP).
Walk across campus, and you’ll hear students weaving effortlessly between the global expectations of their International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum and the cultural grounding of Diné bizaad, the Navajo language. In one moment, they debate international relations; the next, they tease one another in Diné, discuss plans for college, or reflect on the responsibilities waiting for them at home—sometimes hours away across the Navajo Nation.
At Navajo Prep, students are learning at a high academic level, without being asked to leave their culture outside the classroom. In fact, their culture informs their studies: students are doing science fair projects where they study solar energy, examining the burn rates of different type of firewood for traditional homes, and conducting research on Diné food culture such as types of sugar used in traditional foods. For them, Native American Heritage Day does not represent a seasonal celebration, but a celebration and acknowledgement of their lived reality: who they are every day, and who they intend to be.
National recognition days matter because they create space in public conversation for stories that too often remain invisible; stories of resilience, resurgence, and educational innovation. This year, an important milestone marks a historic turning point in Indigenous education and language preservation.
In November 2024, the IB announced that Diné will be recognized as an approved language that fulfills the Diploma Programs dual-language requirement. Rather than a symbolic gesture, this is a substantive acknowledgment that Indigenous languages meet the highest standards of academic rigor. It affirms that Native languages are not “extras,” not “electives,” and certainly not artifacts of the past. They are living, evolving systems of thought, essential to the cultural and emotional well-being of the communities that speak them.
The IB’s recognition of Diné language within the Diploma Program affirms that Indigenous identity and global academic excellence can and should coexist. This is where dual-language education becomes indispensable.
Research consistently shows that dual-language programs strengthen academic performance across subjects, enhance cognitive flexibility, and deepen cultural understanding. But for Native students, the benefits extend deeper still. Learning in an ancestral language strengthens ties to family, elders, the community, and traditions that cannot be fully translated. It builds confidence and belonging, and nurtures leadership skills that communities need for the future. Language learning ensures that young people inherit not only the teachings of past generations, but the worldview embedded within them.
Navajo Prep’s work with the IB exemplifies what is possible when educational institutions commit to culturally grounded learning. The school has spent decades integrating Navajo language and culture into its curriculum, guided by a conviction that students should not have to choose between academic ambition and cultural identity. The IB’s inclusion of Diné validates that philosophy, and opens a path for other schools, Native and non-Native, to follow.
As we observe Native American Heritage Day, it is worth asking what it would mean for our country if more schools embraced Indigenous dual-language programs. Expanding these pathways would improve academic achievement, strengthen communities, and deepen cultural awareness. In addition, it would reaffirm our responsibility to protect the linguistic heritage that enriches the American story. Indigenous languages are more than methods of communication—they carry values, philosophies, and histories that broaden our collective understanding of the world.
These languages have moral frameworks and distinctive ways of thinking that cannot be replicated in any other form. When an Indigenous language survives, a worldview survives with it. When a language fades, our nation loses more than words—it loses a part of its cultural fabric. Therefore, preserving and revitalizing Indigenous languages benefits everyone by keeping alive the diverse perspectives that define our shared history.
Language is heritage. Language is identity. Language is resilience. Supporting Indigenous dual-language pathways is not simply an educational strategy. It is an investment in justice, healing, and the long-term vitality of Tribal Nations, as well as the United States as a whole. For these languages to be spoken, sung, and lived in for generations to come, the commitment must begin now within our schools, our communities, and our national priorities.