Seven Potential LSA Actions in Honor of IDIL

In 2023 the LSA defined Seven Potential LSA Actions it could take in honor of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages. The set of actions was announced during the 2024 Annual Meeting as part of the celebration of the LSA Centennial as a way to honor the United Nations International Decade of Indigenous Languages. The actions are an acknowledgment by LSA of the complex and sometimes highly problematic history of linguists’ interactions with Native American and other Indigenous peoples, while also making a clear and meaningful commitment to working toward just, respectful, reciprocal, and durable relationships moving into the future.

The items on the list were offered as points of consideration and conversation. While the LSA Executive Committee wanted to make clear it was ready and able to act on the seven potential actions, whether they were implemented would depend on whether a broad consensus emerged that they truly would be useful and meaningful. It was understood from the beginning that, after further conversation, some of the items might be revised, some removed, others added, or perhaps an entirely different set of actions could be defined.
 
The Seven Potential LSA Actions emerged from a series of proposals, events, and discussions over several years, including: a proposal submitted in August of 2021 by the LSA Committee on Endangered Languages and Their Preservation (CELP) requesting that the LSA waive both membership and conference fees for Indigenous community members during the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (IDIL), and an Executive Committee response to it dated February, 2022; the CELP-sponsored “Symposium on the International Decade of Indigenous Languages, 2022-2032,” which was held at the 2023 Annual Meeting; meetings of and conversation with the leaders of CELP and Natives for Linguistics (N4L); and a meeting in April 2023 convened by Tony Woodbury, LSA President, that included leaders from CELP, N4L, the LSA Program Committee, the LSA Centennial Committee, and the Society for the Study of Indigenous Languages of the Americas.
 
Each Potential Action is listed below, along with a report on progress made. This page will be updated on an annual basis.
 
The Seven Potential Actions and Steps Taken as of October 2025

1. Offer free membership and meeting registration to interested Indigenous peoples of the Americas.[1]
   • These actions were fully implemented in time for the 2024 Annual Meeting and will remain in place moving forward.
   • In 2024 and 2025 to date we have provided 18 memberships to Indigenous scholars of the Americas at no cost.
   • 2024 –provided 41 Annual Meeting registrations
   • 2025 –provided 24 Annual Meeting registrations
      
2. Set up a board-designated fund to support Indigenous scholarship of the Americas. Announce this fund throughout the Annual Meeting and offer a QR code to make it easy for people to donate. The fund could be used to provide travel grants to help offset the costs associated with presenting at the Annual Meeting.
   • This fund has been created and donations are being accepted. The fund balance as of August 31, 2025 was $7,713.
   • A selection committee has been established.
   • The first two awards will be presented at the 2026 Annual Meeting.
      
3. Provide on-going resources for N4L and CELP that they can plan for, control, and use to support their activities. This would include space on the Annual Meeting program and a modest baseline annual budget.[2]
   • Discussions regarding a complete revision of the LSA committee structure that would allow for resources allocations in line with this item are ongoing.
      
4. Forego official LSA land acknowledgements unless and until an organizationally feasible process of working collaboratively with tribes to develop appropriate land acknowledgements is identified.
   • At the Opening Ceremonies during the 2024 and 2025 Annual Meetings members of local tribes/nations spoke about the on-going existence and work of their peoples.
   • In May of 2025 the Executive Committee approved a set of guidelines for organizing the Opening Ceremony.
      
5. Commit to developing an official statement regarding UNESCO’s disregard of Indigenous languages in their practices around conferences and field offices.
   • This item is still pending.
      
6. Commit to continuing the conversation about acknowledging historical harms and improving relationships between Linguistics and Indigenous peoples, communities, and nations across the decade.
   • LSA’s work with Ad Hoc Committee on Materials Return, with local tribes and nations in devising alternatives to a pro forma land acknowledgement, and by inviting Indigenous scholars to be invited plenary speakers at the Annual Meeting in 2024 and the Annual Meeting in 2025, have provided opportunities to continue these critical conversations over the past year. The key point here is that this commitment must be demonstrated and acted upon each year moving forward.
   • In May 2025, the Executive Committee approved adding a Native American or Indigenous Community Liaison to the roster of Executive Committee advisors, including the parliamentarian, archivist, and Linguistics Institute Advisor. The Advisor will have a three-year term.
   • In September of 2025, Stacey Oberly, Ute Language Manager, Southern Ute Indian Tribe was approved for a three-year term in this role.
      
7. Commit to LSA holding an annual workshop on best practices research in Indigenous communities, including but not limited to: community-based research, returning data, responsible and ethical research conduct, opening libraries and archives, and acknowledgement of community goals and differences. 
   • At the 2024 Annual Meeting in New York, CELP held a multi-part workshop focused on Indigenous scholarship and research practices.
   • In May 2024, we also held a webinar titled “Reciprocity and Accountability in Language Research.”
   • In June 2025 we held a webinar titled “International Decade of Indigenous Languages Webinar with Benidiktus "Benny" Delpada & AL Blake”