“Every two weeks a language disappears taking with it an entire cultural and intellectual heritage.” *
2019 was the International Year of Indigenous Languages with the aim to raise awareness of the danger indigenous languages are facing and the importance of preserving them. Although indigenous people make up less than 6% of the global population, they speak more than 4,000 of the world’s languages. Indigenous languages are an integral part of indigenous people’s identity and culture as well as an expression of self-determination. However, the majority of indigenous languages are in danger. Some experts predict that over half of the world’s languages will become extinct by 2100. Some calculations even forecast that up to 95 per cent will become seriously endangered or extinct by then.
Countries with Most Indigenous Languages
The sovereign state in Oceania, Papua New Guinea, is one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world, having the highest number of indigenous languages in the world (851). The oldest group of languages in Papua New Guinea are the so-called “Papuan” languages, introduced by the first human settlers 40,000 years ago.
Indonesia is in second place, with 707 indigenous languages, followed by Nigeria (517), China (302) and Mexico (287).
Threats
Linguistic diversity is increasingly threatened as more and more indigenous languages disappear. Colonialism and globalisation resulted in a rise of a small number of culturally dominant languages and the disappearance of indigenous languages in all regions. Indigenous languages are extensive and complex systems of knowledge that have been developed over millennia and are an important part of the identity of indigenous people. When indigenous languages are under threat, indigenous people are under threat themselves too.
Conservation Efforts
Indigenous peoples’ language rights are guaranteed under Article 13, 14 and 15 of the “United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples”. These articles state that indigenous peoples have the right to revitalize, use, develop and transmit their languages, traditions, writing systems and literatures to future generations. Further, it gives indigenous peoples’ rights to establish their educational systems and media in their own languages and to have access to an education in their own language. In addition, the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues has pushed for immediate action to promote and protect indigenous languages. Furthermore, equal access for indigenous peoples to all levels of education is among the Sustainable Development Goals on the 2030 Agenda. Most recently, the UN General Assembly proclaimed 2019 as the International Year of Indigenous Languages to draw attention to the critical threat of indigenous languages and the urgent need to preserve them.
Would you like to make a change? Acquiring further knowledge about indigenous languages and people as well as being aware of the great importance of preserving them marks the first step. If you would like to actively promote the preservation of indigenous languages, learning one of these languages can make a direct change. Furthermore, Social Media is an efficient tool to share knowledge and raise awareness about the issue.
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Sometimes our culture and our identity are something to be exchanged for a false well-being. Unfortunately, especially the nations that speak english, with their invasions and interferences in our daily life, are responsible for the end of cultural diversity. Language is the most important technical tool of the human being, and breaking it to replace it is always wrong.
Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts, Sabrina.