INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE JUSTICE
Everyone deserves to understand and be understood, especially during life’s most difficult and important moments.
Associated Bills:
Our statewide systems must meet the needs of our communities and be available in languages that they understand in order to be truly effective. Increased access to interpretation services forOregonians who speak Indigenous languages from present-day Mexico, Central America, andSouth America helps ensure that our communities can effectively interact with service providers and public entities, and participate in society visibly and fully. By centering the needs of those who have been most harmed by colonization and oppression, and who have the least access to our support systems, we make our systems stronger for all and begin to heal generations of harm.
Indigenous language interpreters have unique skill sets that are highly valuable to our communities and state as a whole. By investing in Indigenous language interpreters, we can continue to build amore equitable Oregon, where all of us have a fair shot.