Indigenous languages make inroads into public schools (Source: www.newsela.com ) James Gensaw is a California high school teacher. He teaches the Yurok language. This is the language spoken by the Yurok people. They have lived in California for many hundreds of years. Colonization by white settlers almost destroyed their culture. Gensaw also advises his school's Native American Club. For years, the school asked for the same thing every November. It asked him to have students from the club perform Yurok dancing. The performances took place outside. Zoom-in Image 1. James Gensaw is one of 16 advanced-level Yurok language-keepers alive today. An enrolled Yurok tribal member, he is also part of the tribe's Yurok Language Program. Photo: Mneesha Gellman "It was nice that the school wanted to have us share our culture," Gensaw says. But "it wasn't always respectful. Some kids would make fun of the … dancers." They would imitate war cries and call out ...