Language is the soul of culture. It is often the beating heart of civilization.

This year, in addition to directly benefitting twenty-seven elementary school libraries through the Bucks for Books program, the Idaho Lottery is also helping one native culture preserve its language, its cultural heritage.

Deep in their ancestral land and a few miles south of the Clearwater River, Lapwai Elementary School is helping preserve the native Niimiipuutimt language, the language of the Nez Perce Nation. The school is doing this by integrating culture into their curriculum.

“There are not many native language speakers left and we want to preserve and pass on this rich tradition, their ancestry to the younger generations,” said Teri Wagner, the school’s principal.

“Two to three times a week, there is after school language class for all the young students to learn the language, all the way through fifth grade,” said Jen Becker, the school’s behavioral specialist.

This is where the Bucks for Books program comes into play for Lapwai Elementary.

“In addition to offering them an incentive to get off their devices, we are creating a new generation of young readers who can also preserve the Nez Perce culture and way of life,” she added.

As part of their $3,000 award from the Idaho Lottery, Lapwai Elementary will include a few books in the Nez Perce native language along with other more popular titles traditionally found in elementary school libraries.

“Having those books will also help to encourage the students to learn their native language while also improving their overall reading ability,” said Teri. “We can integrate our historic way of life into the modern curriculum and be successful.”

Bucks for Books has benefited 152 elementary schools in Idaho for a total of $396,000 over the seven years of the program.