Taylor Feliz, Jr.
Taylor Feliz Jr.
For Taylor Feliz, learning Northern Pomo represents more than mastering a language. It is a chance to help restore something that previous generations were prevented from passing on. The opportunity to study the language through the public school system – where Native languages were once forbidden – makes earning the Seal of Biliteracy especially meaningful. For Taylor, it is a reminder that both his people and their language have a future.
As one of four Ukiah High School graduates to earn California's Seal of Biliteracy in Northern Pomo in 2026, Taylor sees the achievement as both a personal milestone and a symbol of a language being reclaimed by a new generation.
“To be speaking words that were forbidden a hundred years ago, and to be learning them from the school system, is surreal.”