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The Indigenous Language Institute (ILI) collaborates with indigenous language communities to combat language decline. ILI facilitates community-based language programs, increases public awareness of language endangerment, and disseminates information on language preservation and successful language revitalization programs. In response to numerous questions about what works, ILI researchers visited 15 language programs in Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. This paper reports findings on Oklahoma. With the exception of California, Oklahoma has the greatest diversity of Native languages and peoples in the United States. All Native languages in Oklahoma are threatened; most are severely endangered. A chart presents languages and linguistic families of Oklahoma, with number of speakers. Oklahoma tribal people do not have a land base, and their children are seldom the majority in public schools. Most Native language programs are grassroots and struggle for funds, teachers, and even community acceptance. Most programs pass through certain vital stages: commitment of the heart, awareness of the reality of the language situation, committed experimentation, re-contextualizing language and culture, transforming the culture of school, re-creating classrooms, and changing attitudes from hurt to responsibility. Successful approaches include using community language teams, promoting immersion, being family-oriented, setting goals, developing a few fluent speakers before expanding the program, balancing tradition and innovation, addressing language variation issues, working through politics, and persevering. The following are not necessary: money, tribal support, or a large number of speakers. ILI plans to create "facts" and "how-to" brochures are described. (Contains 34 references.) (SV)

Primary objectives of the first comprehensive study of New Mexico Pueblo school dropouts were to identify and locate such dropouts, to determine reasons for Pueblo dropouts, and to identify types of counseling and services available. Of 710 identified dropouts, 328 from the 19 Pueblos were interviewed in home visits. Personal reasons (seeing no reason for being in school, pregnancy) accounted for 47.9% of the dropouts; school problems (boredom, inability to get along with teachers and classmates led to 38.7%; family and health problems caused the rest. Teachers were frequently available to help with academic problems, mainly in math and science, but counselors were generally not available to help with personal problems. About 87% of the dropouts planned to continue their educations either by earning a G.E.D. or by attending school. Although 37.3% were uncertain of career plans, 32% planned for vocations and 9.7% for paraprofessional jobs. Results tabulated by school district and individual Pueblo were similar in most cases, but there were some sex-related differences. In terms of course design, care should be taken to maintain interest for Pueblo students; current, informative classes in birth control and family planning should be developed and implemented. Tutorial services and the number of trained school counselors should be increased. The report contains a resource directory. (SB)