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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER The Linguist 13
FEATURES
The conservation of Indigenous languages is urgent and
vital to protecting the planet, argues Adriana Hernández
T
he world's remaining biodiversity hotspots are
home to around 70% of all languages spoken on
earth, showing strong geographic co-occurrence
of Indigenous language speakers and biodiversity. The
Brazilian Amazon is an example of how Indigenous
economies foster biological diversity. One-fifth of
Brazilian land in the Amazon is occupied by Indigenous
peoples, and this area represents the most crucial barrier
to deforestation – one of the most significant causes of
biodiversity loss. In areas where more Indigenous people
live biodiversity is equal or higher than it is in areas
where there a less Indigenous people.
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For thousands of years, the connection between
biodiversity and Indigenous peoples has been rooted in
their traditional knowledge, carried and transmitted
orally in a wide variety of languages. The importance of
maintaining traditional knowledge for the protection of
biodiversity is related to the protection and preservation
of Indigenous languages – of which there are more than
4,000 in the world. When we lose an Indigenous language
we also lose ideas, knowledge about local ecosystems,
food, weather monitoring systems, growing and
harvesting methods, and the use of traditional medicines.
When an Indigenous language becomes extinct, a way
of being and of seeing the world disappears.
Between 1950 and 2010, 230 languages died,
according to the Unesco Atlas of the World's Languages
in Danger. A further 50-90% are predicted to disappear
by the next century. Today, a third of the world's
languages have fewer than 1,000 speakers. Every two
weeks, a language dies with its last speaker.
Key to understanding the correlation between
Indigenous languages and biodiversity is their
relationship with Mother Earth (Qanan Ulew in K'iche',
my mother tongue). In order to continue adapting and
building resilient societies to face the effects of climate
change, it is important to have a sense of reciprocity with
nature. We need to advocate for climate change actions
thinking that we, as humans, belong to Mother Earth;
that all beings coexist in the planet; and that our mission
is to restore balance and unity. As Kanen'tó:kon
Hemlock, representative of the Mohawk Nation, said
FIGHTING FOR SURVIVAL
TAKING CONTROL
Women's participation
is a priority for Radio
Tuklik in Yucatán,
Mexico (main image);
and (above) Radio
Maranki aims to
strengthen the cultural
identity of Peru's
Ashéninka people
