Reviving a Once-Forbidden Language: Northern Pomo Students Earn California Seal of Biliteracy
Northern Pomo Voices
Four students. One language. One remarkable achievement.
Media Summary
In 2026, four graduates from Ukiah High School earned California's Seal of Biliteracy in Northern Pomo, one of California's Indigenous languages. One that was once forbidden to Native people, including children in government boarding schools. Their achievement represents both academic excellence and the continuing revitalization of a language that nearly disappeared. Including these four, only six students have earned the California Seal of Biliteracy. The other two were members of the 2025 Ukiah High graduating class.
Members of the media may use the photos and video below with attribution to Ukiah Unified School District.
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 13, 2026
Dan Dougherty, (707) 472-5005
Four Ukiah High School Graduates Earn Northern Pomo Seal of Biliteracy
Fifth-year partnership between tribal leaders and Ukiah Unified helps
revitalize an Indigenous language once at risk of being lost.
Ukiah, CA — Four graduates of Ukiah High School (UHS) have earned California’s Seal of Biliteracy in Northern Pomo, doubling the number of students to receive the distinction just one year after the program celebrated its first Seal recipients.
The California Seal of Biliteracy recognizes graduating seniors who demonstrate proficiency in English and another language. This year, Kala Wright, Taylor Feliz Jr., Izzy Garcia and Zach Martinez earned the distinction in Northern Pomo.
“To be speaking words that were forbidden a hundred years ago, and to be learning them from the school system, is surreal,” said Taylor Feliz Jr., one of this year’s Seal recipients.
Their achievement marks an important milestone for Ukiah Unified School District’s Northern Pomo language program, now in its fifth year. Last year, the program celebrated its first two Seal recipients. This year’s graduating class doubled that number, a progression tribal leader Julian Maldonado describes as a “waterfall effect” as each class builds on the success of those before it and more students reach proficiency.
The impact extends beyond the students who earn the Seal. Other UHS seniors, including Taliah Ramos, completed four years of Northern Pomo language study and developed proficiency even though they did not earn California’s Seal of Biliteracy. They are also part of the growing numbers of students helping to carry the language forward.
As Maldonado and Tribal leader Angela James explain in the video, generations of Native people were persecuted and beaten for speaking Northern Pomo. To protect their children, many families stopped teaching the language at home. Because Northern Pomo is traditionally passed from one generation to the next through speech rather than writing, the language came dangerously close to disappearing.
The high school program grew from years of collaboration between Ukiah Unified School District and the local tribal community. Maldonado and James worked with UC Berkeley linguist Kathryn O’Connor, whose doctoral research focused on the Northern Pomo language and whose work with fluent tribal elders helped shape the curriculum adopted by the district. Today, instructor Buffie Campbell guides students through the four-year course, connecting language learning with culture, history and identity.
Ukiah Unified recently released a 4½-minute video and four individual student videos where students share, in their own words, what learning Northern Pomo has meant to them and why they hope future generations will continue speaking the language.
“We are proud of every student who has committed to learning Northern Pomo and grateful to the tribal leaders, educators and families whose partnership has made this opportunity possible,” said Superintendent Debra Kubin. “These students are helping preserve a language, a culture, and a history that will continue to benefit future generations.”
A complete media package, including the overview video, student profile videos, photographs, background information and downloadable media resources, is available in the Ukiah Unified School District Newsroom.
Key Quotes from Students and Tribal Leaders
“If I can learn a language that has been gone for so long and well not that it's gone but like that people don't really know then I could like really just do anything.” – Kala Wright
“We’re not a dying race, and it’s not a dying language.” – Taylor Feliz, Jr.
“It’s my language. It’s my family’s language. It’s our culture. And we have the right to like learn about our culture.” – Taliah Ramos
“I felt I feel like I’d be an idiot if I were not to just take the class, you know, I’d take that over to Spanish or, you know, French.” – Izzy Garcia
“I think it makes them more proud. They can say they’re Pomo Indians and not be afraid to speak their language.” – Julian Maldonado, Chairperson Hopland Band of Pomo Indians
“Every day students introduce themselves in the Northern Pomo language. I was just standing in the back of the room in shock, and tearing up.” – Angela James, Vice-chairperson Pinoleville Pomo Nation
Story at a glance
- Four students earned the Seal of Biliteracy in Northern Pomo
- Northern Pomo was once forbidden, with speakers beaten and discplined
- Students completed four years of language study
- Ukiah High School offers one of the nation's few Native Language programs
- Students share their personal experiences in video interviews
- Broadcast-quality interviews and B-roll available
About the Northern Pomo
The Northern Pomo are one of several Pomo peoples whose ancestral homelands include the Ukiah Valley and surrounding areas of Northern California.
They are widely recognized for their extraordinary basket weaving – considered among the finest in the world – as well as their deep knowledge of the natural environment, including sustainable land stewardship, fishing, hunting, gathering, and the sophisticated use of native plants for food, medicine, and daily life.
Traditional Pomo basket designs reflect remarkable artistry, precision, and mathematical patterns that continue to be studied and admired today.
For generations, Native people were punished for speaking their languages, and many families stopped passing them on to their children.
Today, tribal elders, educators, and students are working together to revitalize Northern Pomo, ensuring that the language, culture, and traditions continue to be shared with future generations.
About the California State Seal of Biliteracy
The California State Seal of Biliteracy recognizes graduating high school seniors who have demonstrated a high level of proficiency in English and at least one additional language. Recipients earn a gold seal affixed to their diploma and transcript, signifying achievement in speaking, reading, writing, and understanding two languages.
To qualify, students must meet rigorous academic standards. They must demonstrate English proficiency by either earning at least a 3.0 GPA in all required English language arts courses or meeting one of several approved assessment benchmarks. They must also demonstrate advanced proficiency in a second language, typically by successfully completing four years of high school study with a 3.0 GPA or higher and demonstrating oral proficiency comparable to Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate expectations, or by passing an approved language assessment.
For Ukiah High School's Northern Pomo students, earning the Seal represents both academic excellence and a significant contribution to the revitalization of an Indigenous language that was once discouraged and, at times, forbidden in schools. They are among the first students in the nation to earn the California State Seal of Biliteracy in Northern Pomo.
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