At the Alaska Federation of Natives Convention on October 23, 2014, Alaska Governor Sean Parnell signed House Bill 216 – legislation designating 20 Native languages as official languages of the State of Alaska. Before that legislation, Alaska had just one “official” language: English. The governor signed the bill before hundreds of cheering Alaska Natives. The mood was emotional and jubilant.
Alaska Dispatch News provides more information in their news article: http://www.adn.com/article/20141023/parnell-signs-native-language-bill-emotional-ceremony-afn-convention
