At one time in Canada first nations kids could be beaten for speaking their native language at school -- fifty years ago.

When I was in high school I frequently spoke French to my francophone classmates. I figured that since I was learning the language, I may as well speak it. Granted, we're a bilingual country. I think that the U.S. should become a bilingual country too, but I guess that's not likely to happen, given the "backlash" the article speaks about.