The Federal Emergency Management Agency will reimburse a translation company that contracted with it to provide disaster relief information to Alaska Natives.
Accent on Languages was to translate information for two Alaska Native languages, Yugtun or Central Yup’ik and Inupiaq. These documents could have been used to help Indigenous language speakers affected by Typhoon Merbok request disaster relief.
However, the Yup’ik translations of the company turned out to be a mix of phrases from an 80-year old book of Russian folklore and language. Inupiaq translations were made in Inuktitut, an Indigenous language spoken in Northeastern Canada. Fluent speakers said that the work is not understandable even in that alphabet.
FEMA has been reimbursed by the translation company. Tara Sweeney, former Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs, says that this is not enough.
Sweeney stated that fraud is fraud. You can’t price the negative impact of misinformation denying services to vulnerable populations. It’s difficult to imagine the cost of living in rural Alaska. To make this behavior and business practice acceptable, there is no dollar amount that can be refunded by the federal government.
A government database shows a $27 800 transaction. However, Accent On Languages CEO Caroline Lee stated that the amount was not what was paid to the company because the order expired before FEMA made full usage of the amount.
Lee stated that her company received just over $5,000. More than half of that amount, or approximately $3,400, was used to cover the Yup’ik/Inupiaq translation costs. Lee stated that this is the money she would give to FEMA. Lee stated that her goal in translating was to “not just help these languages survive but to help them thrive.”
Accent on Languages’ contract with FEMA is part of a larger contract that Accent on Languages shares with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. According to a federal spending database, Accent on Languages has had contracts with several federal agencies since 2004.
“Have this happened at FEMA before?” “No,” stated FEMA’s Tribal Affairs Advocate Kelbie Kelly. This has never happened before. This is a particular issue that is not systemic.
Kennedy is an Oklahoma citizen. Kennedy can also speak her Indigenous language.
Kennedy stated that FEMA has a hardworking team and that they want to continue improving and getting more translations to Indian Country. It’s important for me as a tribal citizen to have FEMA speak in my language and in my native tongue in a way that makes sense to my community. That culturally competent element is essential.”
Kennedy stated that members of Congress have contacted FEMA. She stated that FEMA was willing to participate in any investigation that might be triggered by the mistranslations.
Sweeney wants an investigation.
Sweeney stated that Congress members should exercise their fiduciary duty to American Indians and Alaska Native peoples across the country. He suggested that they investigate whether this is a common practice for federal government officials.
Julia Jimmie, a Yup’ik speaker for all of her life, works as a translator at KYUK in Bethel. She stated that there is a silver lining in what would otherwise be a deep disrespect for her tongue.
Jimmie stated that they believed Yup’iks and Inupiaq would disappear, and likely thought they wouldn’t get caught. “So this makes it clear that Yup’iks and Inupiaq remain alive and can be used.”
It is not clear how or why Accent on Languages provided such a service. According to Accent on Languages, it provided FEMA a list of corrective steps. FEMA and Accent on Languages would not share the list. FEMA however stated that it is no longer doing business together with the translation company.
