CHASE HENSEL

People Awakening Project, Psychology Dept., University of Alaska Fairbanks

"If I could not speak in Yup'ik without fear. . . I could not do my job": Alaska's 'Official English' law declared unconstitutional.

Alaska's 'Official English' law, passed in 1998, was recently declared unconstitutional. District Court Judge Terrisi affirmed that the law "violates the free speech clause of the Alaska Constitution" and that the "wide reach of the initiative chills the exercise of protected speech". While there were other Native and non-Native groups involved, the core plaintiffs were Yup'ik Eskimos, particularly from the village of Togiak. Much of the case hinged on the ability of the Mayor, city council members and other city employees to work effectively with the community under a 'Official English Language' regime. The author (who has been an expert witness in the case since it's inception) will discuss the relevance of the case to other jurisdictions, and the status of appeals (if any).