There are more than 7,000 languages spoken in the world, one third of them are endangered and only 23 account for more than half off the worlds spoken languages (Ethnologue.com 2017). Languages, like all living parts of society, go through times of change-social and political- which impact their vitality as a spoken language.
So what happens when a language is lost to a dominate society? A unique world view and knowledge is also lost.
A language is lost every two weeks and within 100 years 90% of the worlds languages will be lost forever, (Nettle & Romaine 2002).
A major contribution to language loss is marginalization of a language group- in this blog, we will examine marginalization’s effect on the Kaqchikel language of Guatemala and indigenous languages of the United States and Canada with an aim to put into perspective the issues that relate these languages.
Putting things into perspective: A brief comparison of historic indigenous language marginalization in the USA, Canada and Guatemala.
What is the history of language loss and indigenous marginalization in Guatemala compared to the US and Canada?
For starters, all three have a history of governmental marginalization-affecting their languages and often their cultural identity.
In the case of the US, where there were more than 700 Native American tribes before European settling, Native Americans faced marginalization and children were sent to assimilation schools where they were to learn English and often reprimanded for speaking in their native tongue. It was not until October 30, 1990 President Bush signed an important protection for Native American languages into law: Public Law 101-477. The main aim of this law was to recognize “the cultures and languages of Native Americans are unique and the United States has the responsibility to act together with Native Americans to ensure the survival of these unique cultures and languages.” Today there are over 300 languages spoken in the US, with no official language, though English is spoken throughout the country. There has yet to be a formal apology from the US government for this cultural genocide.
What about our northern neighbors? Like the US, Canada has a history of using assimilation programs. In 2017 the Canadian government was in the spot light after indigenous Canadians demanded political accountability and received a formal apology for the Indian residential school program the federal government operated to assimilate indigenous children from the 19th century till 1996. A major goal of this system was to erase the use of indigenous language and teach children English.
In Guatemala, there are 24 recognized languages. Twenty-one of which are indigenous languages. Making Guatemala one of just a few nations with an indigenous majority (Brown, Garzon, Richards & Simon 1998). Kaqchikel is among the most widely used and vibrant with more than 500,000 speakers, primarily in the Lake Atitlan region of Guatemala, the communities in which Mayan Families serves.
Unlike other indigenous languages in Guatemala, Kaqchikel has maintained vitality despite a long history of marginalization of indigenous groups in Guatemala especially the 36-year-long civil war that ended in 1996 with the signing of the Peace Accords. The civil war greatly impacted indigenous communities forcing many indigenous people to view their language as serving no economic benefit in comparison with the economically advantageous, and dominant, Spanish language. Despite this, Kaqchikel remains the most widely used language in the Lake Atitlan region of Guatemala.
Mayan Families, the non-profit we are partnered with on the production of "Lengua del Lago" a documentary about Kaqchikel and the "shift" or change it is currently undergoing, provides students with bilingual education through preschool nutrition centers which prepare students to enter into the Spanish-language Guatemalan school system. Student’s confidence is fostered through reinforcement of Spanish-language learning in their native language Kaqchikel.
Bibliography
Duff, P. A. & Li, D. (2009). Indigenous, Minority, and Heritage Language Education in Canada: Policies, Contexts, and Issues. The Canadian Modern Language Review / La revue canadienne des langues vivantes 66(1), 1-8. University of Toronto Press. Retrieved January 15, 2018, from Project MUSE database.
Garzon, S. (1998). The life of our language: Kaqchikel Maya maintenance, shift and revitalization. Austin, TX. The University of Texas Press.
Hightower-Langston, D. 2003. The Native American World. New Jersey: John Wiley.
Hinton, L. (1994). Flutes of Fire: Essays on California Indian Languages. Minneapolis, MI. Bookmobile.
Nettle, D., & Romaine, S. (2002). Vanishing voices: The extinction of the world's languages. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Schwing, L. J. 2009. ‘Native American Healing: A Return to Our Past’, Journal of Consumer Health on the Internet 12, 71-78.
Tooker, E. 1979. Native North American Spirituality of The Eastern Woodlands. New Jersey: Paulist Press.
Young, B. (2015). "Killing the indian in the child": Death, cruelty, and subject-formation in the canadian indian residential school system. Mosaic : A Journal for the Interdisciplinary Study of Literature, 48(4), 63-76. Retrieved from http://0-search.proquest.com.library.uark.edu/docview/1739134486?accountid=8361
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