Indigenous languages are on the verge of extinction, and the remaining few surviving speakers are elderly.
The goal of the Advocates for Indigenous California Language Survival is to foster the restoration and revival of indigenous California languages so that they may again become a permanent part of living cultures in the state.
In February 2020, San Manuel granted funds that will support The Breath of Life Conference, which addresses specific language revitalization efforts for those tribes that have minimum or no fluent speakers.
The Breath of Life Program pairs linguists with California Indian language learners for a seven-day immersion at the University of California, Berkeley. The Advocates partner with the UC Berkeley Linguistics Department to coordinate archive tours and provide the majority of the instruction.
This has become a popular program for tribes that do not have the resources for language revitalization efforts.
