(1) Within the Montana Indian Language Preservation (MILP) program, tribal governments receive MILP funds from the Office of Public Instruction (OPI) and designate the tribal education department, the tribal culture and language department, or the selected tribal entity, college, or language program to administer the grant objectives.(2) Culture and language departments are unique in each tribal nation within Montana as most tribes have established a culture and language department in various forms within the college or tribal departments. Some tribes have established language immersion schools in their indigenous language. The MILP program can be facilitated by these various entities within the tribe at the discretion of the tribal government. The selected organization will opt into MILP and propose a language preservation plan, budget narrative, and outcomes as it pertains to the MILP program language through these guidelines and instituted through the Egrants system within the Office of Public Instruction overseen by the Language and Culture Specialist. The usage of the funds, and the development of their outcomes, will be monitored through the Egrants system and the OPI Language and Culture Specialist.(3) Tribal governments may work with school districts as part of their language preservation efforts. Where there is an established partnership between tribes and school districts, language and culture specialists will adhere to the guidelines established by the tribe for the languages they oversee.Mont. Admin. r. 10.75.101
NEW, 2023 MAR p. 1086, Eff. 9/23/2023AUTH: 20-9-537, MCA; IMP: 20-9-537, MCA