TULSA, Okla.
Cherokee National Principal Chief Chad Smith has said he plans to continue to fight any legislative proposals that would make English the official language of Oklahoma.
Speaking at a luncheon held Wednesday by the Greater Tulsa Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Smith referred to failed attempts by the state Legislature this year to place a proposal for a constitutional amendment about the subject on the November election ballot as mere political posturing.
Smith said that instead of legislation that he believes would restrict other languages, lawmakers should consider measures to encourage children to learn other languages and about other cultures.
“Language is identity,” Smith said. “It’s how you see the world. Allowing different languages is a competitive intelligence.”
He said the value for Cherokee people in language is that “it brings activeness, it brings fulfillment, it brings depth.”
He called the concept of an English-only law in Oklahoma “myopic.”
