Native American Languages Act of 1990

Native American Languages Act of 1990

Long title	An Act to reauthorize the Tribally Controlled Community College Assistance Act of 1978 and the Navajo Community College Act.
Acronyms (colloquial)	NALA
Nicknames	Native American Languages Act
Enacted by	the 101st United States Congress
Effective	October 30, 1990
Citations
Public law	101-477
Statutes at Large	104 Stat. 1152
Codification
Titles amended	25 U.S.C.: Indians
U.S.C. sections created	25 U.S.C. ch. 31 § 2901 et seq.
U.S.C. sections amended	25 U.S.C. ch. 20, subch. I § 1811 25 U.S.C. ch. 20, subch. II § 1832 et seq.
Legislative history
Introduced in the Senate as S. 2167 by John McCain (R–AZ) on February 22, 1990 Committee consideration by Senate Indian Affairs (Permanent Select) Passed the Senate on October 11, 1990 (passed voice vote) Passed the House on October 12, 1990 (passed without objection) Signed into law by President George H. W. Bush on October 30, 1990
Major amendments
Durbin Feeling Native American Languages Act of 2022

The Native American Languages Act of 1990 (NALA) is a US statute that gives historical importance as repudiating past policies of eradicating indigenous languages of the Americas^{[clarification needed]} by declaring as policy that Native Americans were entitled to use their own languages. The fundamental basis of the policy's declaration was that the United States "declares to preserve, protect and promote the rights and freedom of Native Americans to use practice and develop Native American Languages".^[1]

In addition, to "fully recognize the right of Indian Tribes and other Native American governing bodies, States, territories, and possessions of the United States to take action on, and give official status to their Native American languages for the purpose of conducting their own business".^[1]