"[1] It is named for Esther Martinez, a teacher and storyteller who lived to be 94 years old, and was nationally known for her dedication to preserving the Tewa language.
[2][3] "She was killed in a car accident on September 18, [2006], just days after receiving a National Heritage Fellowship award for her efforts to preserve the Tewa language.
"[4] The Voice of America featured a four-part series in September 2012 "on keeping traditions alive", reporting: "United States Representative Heather Wilson of New Mexico wrote the bill to help stop American Indian languages from disappearing.
[5] The Esther Martinez Native Languages Programs Reauthorization Act passed in the House of Representatives on December 9, 2019, and awaits signing.
"[10] According to Willard Gilbert, president of the National Indian Education Association (NIEA), "There were 175 Native American languages still spoken in 1996.