Photos: Alaska Federation of Natives 2014 Convention

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Susie Walter, from Tununak, looks through photographs from southwest Alaska. Lillian and Larry Lewis participate at right. The Anchorage Museum brought more than 500 photographs from its archives to the Alaska Federation of Natives Conference to ask participants to help identify the people and locations that were captured. Photo archivist Sara Piasecki said this is the second year they've gathered information at AFN.

For the first time in their lives, as Gov. Sean Parnell, state legislators, tribal leaders and an overflow crowd looked on, Alaska Native people one by one took the microphone Thursday to speak in their Native language -- as an official state language.

They spoke in Inupiaq and Yup'ik, Tlingit and Haida, Alutiiq and Koyukon, Tsimshian and Dena'ina. A 15-year-old from Cordova spoke in Eyak, a language that some feared might die.There were words of thanks in almost all of the 20 Alaska Native languages now recognized as official in House Bill 216 as well as stories of earlier oppressive days, when children's hands were slapped and mouths were taped for speaking the only language they knew.

AFN's three-day convention -- the biggest Alaska Native gathering of the year – started Thursday morning at the Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center. The conference attracts as many as 5,000 people from Barrow to Kodiak, Nome to Sitka. It's a huge economic driver for Anchorage, a chance for politicians to mingle and candidates to prowl for votes, a reunion for families and friends and colleagues. It's a multidimensional event, with a huge Alaska Native art show and two nights of song and dance performances.

Read more: Parnell signs Native language bill in emotional ceremony at AFN convention