[2025] Al's Pals - How Utah's Quarterback is Helping Revitalize a Language

[SageBow]

The Ute language, known as Núuchi among the Ute people, is currently spoken by approximately 1,500 individuals. To safeguard their linguistic heritage and culture, the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation has embarked on a mission to enhance early childhood language education. An unexpected ally in this endeavor is Alcides Holden, the Ute’s quarterback.

Holden's journey began two summers ago at local high schools in Salt Lake City, where he volunteered at football camps. During this time, he connected with numerous young athletes of Native American descent, forming bonds with the next generation of football players. This engagement led him to Tom Herbert, a local linguist collaborating with the Tribe to promote the Ute language. Interestingly, Herbert’s son is a running back prospect in the Class of 2026. Sharing a passion for linguistics, Holden and Herbert quickly became friends, setting the stage for a collaborative effort supported by the Tribe.

Fast forward two years from that pivotal meeting, and Holden and Herbert have secured enough funding—thanks to Holden's NIL deal and generous contributions from teammates and community members—to establish a full-time after-school program in the Salt Lake City area. This program immerses elementary students in the Ute language, teaching them vocabulary, sentence structure, and practical usage. The excitement within the community has been palpable.

"We were able to secure a classroom for 35 kids, staffed by three teachers and teaching assistants trained by the Tribe," Herbert shared. "Thanks to the generous financial support, largely from Alcides, we launched this program, and we are hopeful to expand further to help preserve this language from extinction."

Holden expressed his motivation, saying, "I’m just trying to give back to the future. I've always had a deep interest in languages, so much so that I study them now. I believe people come into our lives for a reason, and supporting this organization’s mission to promote the Ute language and aid these young kids has been a true blessing. One of my favorite moments was attending the first class—seeing the kids and teachers connect was heartwarming. They even made a huge poster that says 'Al’s Pals' to hang on the door. That’s a memory I’ll cherish forever."

Through this partnership, Holden and Herbert are not only fostering language preservation but also inspiring a sense of community and cultural pride among the youth.