The Federal Emergency Management Agency hired a California-based firm to translate information about disaster recovery assistance into Alaska Native languages after Typhoon Merbok struck Alaska’s west coast on September 20,22. Typhoon Merbok destroyed homes, subsistence fishing, hunting tools and camps throughout the Y-K Delta as well as on the Seward Peninsula.
These documents were meant to provide information about how to apply to financial aid. At least half of the Y-K Delta’s population, approximately 10,000 people, speak Yugtun or the Central Yup’ik dialect before they can learn English. Further north, another 3,000 speak Inupiaq.
Julia Jimmie, a KYUK translator, stated that the Yugtun translations are incorrect. The translated documents were also not understood by other Indigenous language speakers. Two sources from Nelson Island confirmed that they weren’t Central Yup’ik. Another source from Chevak stated that it wasn’t Cup’ik. The documents were also confusing to Siberian Yup’ik speakers.
Tara Sweney, who was the Trump Administration’s former Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, said that the Inupiaq translations are incorrect. Her great-grandfather is the one who created the Inupiaq alphabet.
Sweeney stated that characters such as the letter “e” are not used. He also said that some words don’t seem to be arranged or put together in the same way.
Gary Holton, a linguist, stated that it would be incorrect to refer to documents as translations.
After reviewing the documents, Holton stated that “that is an incredible understatement.” The only thing you can draw from this is that there are dates. But you don’t know why. The only thing that might provide useful information is a link to a website.
Holton spent 20+ years documenting Alaska Native languages at University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Alaska Native Language Center. Holton said that the Yup’ik translations were just lifted from a collection of Far East Russian folklore and language known as The Rubtsova text. It was published by the Soviet Union in 1940.
Holton claims that at least one FEMA news release mentions “State News Desk” in the translation. In this section, Holton says, “When she said so, her dog ran further away from the curtain.” Another section, which should be a translation about the Small Business Administration, reads: “That one said that I should draw on the ice when the dog gets close to me.”
Imagine if someone took all your stories and interviewed your great-grandmother to find out about her childhood experiences. Holton explained that he had all this information and recorded it. He then scribbled it and put it in different places and created a collage of it. “It’s offensive.”
Sweeney also agreed. Sweeney agreed. She stated that this work was not only a waste federal funds, but it is also insulting to Alaska’s Indigenous People.
Sweeney stated that there was a lot of historical trauma from being beaten in schools for speaking their Indigenous languages. This is why there are a lot more Alaskans who struggle with fluency.
The company that was contracted to complete the work was Accent Languages,. Their website boasts a 100% customer satisfaction rating and highlights its recent service in Alaska after emergency flooding. CEO Caroline Lee declined any questions regarding the circumstances or what she intends to do to prevent similar mistakes from happening again.
Inupiaq translations by Accent on Languages were created to assist language speakers in Bering Strait Region affected by Typhoon Merbok. Accent on Languages did at least one Inupiaq translation. It was done in Inuktitut. Inuktitut, an Indigenous language of Northeastern Canada, is used. This mistake could have been easily caught, as the Inuktitut alphabet consists of syllabic letters. Inupiaq has many of the same letters as the Latin alphabet.
Canada: At least two Inuktitut speaking Inuktituts claimed that the tri-fold glossy brochure Accent on Languages created for FEMA is not understandable.
Sharon Sanders, FEMA spokesperson, stated that some translations had been delayed up to two weeks. Tom Kempton, her colleague, stated that he was suspicious about the inaccuracies right from the beginning. He stated that the final products appeared strange.
Yup’ik said, “I don’t speak, you see, I don’t speak.” Kempton explained that what we saw coming back was, I mean, when the Inupiat [sic] ones first appeared, I was like, “What is this?”
FEMA reported that the agency paid $27 800 for the translations. This money is part of a larger contract Accent Languages has with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. At least half a dozen news release and other documents have been incorrectly translated.
Sweeney stated that it is a problem for minority communities and underrepresented peoples when this type of information is being disseminated to people who don’t understand it. “American citizens are denied services, especially when they are in greatest need. This is unacceptable.
Sharon Sanders, spokesperson for FEMA, stated that although the translations weren’t widely distributed they were sent out to at least two radio stations in Western Alaska and two newspapers. In October, a month following the destruction of Typhoon Merbok, several members of Alaska’s Congressional delegation received the wrong Inupiaq translation from the Alaska Federation of Natives, the largest annual gathering of Alaska Natives.
Both Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s and Rep. Mary Peltola’s staff stated that they had informed FEMA that the translations were not perfect. Sanders responded that the mistranslated documents had been removed from FEMA’s website. To continue the work, FEMA also hired an Alaska-based firm.
Language speakers were affected by the storm but the company produced “unintelligible work”, according to speakers of both English and French. (Emily Schwing/KYUK)
FEMA stated in a December statement that it was “committed [to] enhancing [it] capacity to work avec Tribal Nations… this includes providing culturally competent service and translating FEMA products to Native American languages… ” However, the person who wrote that statement later mispelled Yup’ik as well as Inupiaq.
Sanders stated, “All I can do is say that FEMA is a people first agency.” “We are people helping people who have suffered, right?” We are really concerned when things don’t go according to plan. We work hard to ensure that we get it right.
The agency has paid approximately $7,600 per applicant so far to those whose disaster relief applications were approved. This is a significant amount considering that Accent on Languages, the original translation agency, was paid more than three times the amount. It also exceeds the Yukon-Kuskokwim’s median annual income.
