The Linguist is a languages magazine for professional linguists, translators, interpreters, language professionals, language teachers, trainers, students and academics with articles on translation, interpreting, business, government, technology
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20 The Linguist Vol/56 No/1 2017 www.ciol.org.uk FEATURES Antonio Díaz Fernández asks whether the endangered indigenous language can be saved in Argentina M apuzungun is an agglutinative and polysynthetic language with a highly complex verb morphology. It is spoken on both sides of the Andean Ridge, but most speakers are located on the western side. My research focuses on Argentina – the eastern part of the Mapuche-speaking area. Known as Mapuzungun, 'language of the earth' (also spelt 'Mapudungun') to its speakers, the language is sometimes called Chezungun ('language of the people') or Mapuchezungun ('language of the people of the earth'). The Spanish conquerors of the 16th century called it araucano. There is no trustworthy data that show exactly the number of speakers but it is clear that the sociolinguistic situation for Mapuzungun in Patagonia has changed greatly over the last few decades. The only census of the aboriginal population in Argentina was carried out in 1966-1967 and the figures were not accurate. It reported 33,681 indigenous individuals in Patagonia, Buenos Aires and La Pampa, including Mapuche, Ranquels, Aonik'enk and Selk'nam. Although, there are some figures regarding the number of speakers, they refer only to the provinces of Buenos Aires, Río Negro and Chubut. 1 In 2005, some data was published as a complement to the 2001 national census, but these are estimates based on details recovered only from certain places. 2 The province of Neuquén is home to the majority of Mapuche-speakers in Argentina. According to Alain Fabre, Mapuzungun is still spoken in the communities of Huayquillán, Manqui, Puel, Filipin, Aucapán, Chiquilihuin, Atreuco, Painefilu and Curruhuinca. 3 The number of speakers in the provinces of Río Negro and Chubut is much smaller. As my own research shows, the percentage of native-speakers in Chubut is very low – just 1.5% (see table, right). Fewer than ten young people have learnt the language there, with different degrees of competence. This reality is similar in Río Negro. In other provinces, especially Buenos Aires, La Pampa and Santa Cruz, there may be migrants who were fluent speakers while young, but do not use the language now. Linguistic survival Mapuzungun has not been used as means of daily communication for approximately 70 years in most places. The government established schools in many communities, and children were punished if they spoke Mapuzungun. In 1884, the national law of education established that schooling had to be only in Spanish. The following testimonies show us that reality: "At school we were told not to speak it [Mapuzungun] anymore because it does not exist anymore." Carmen Colinamon, Atraico, Malvestitti 1997 "In old times I spoke only Mapuzungun, we scarcely spoke Spanish, I was just a little girl when I went to school… afterwards I learned a little Spanish. You see, the teacher did not like, did not like absolutely, er, the children to speak Mapuzungun." 4 Carolina Castro, Lago Rosario, Chubut 1995 "We said just a word in Mapuzungun and then he [the teacher] said "Do not speak Mapuzungun here, you are not here with an indigenous teacher, go there." He sent Community Lago Rosario Sierra Colorada Nahuelpán El Molle Cerro Centinela El Escorial Total Population 330 134 47 38 181 51 781 Number of speakers 3 2 4 3 0 0 12 Speakers by percentage of population 0.9% 1.5% 4.2% 7.8% 0% 0% 1.5% Mapping Mapuzungun Mapuzungun in Chubut 2013 ACTIVISM Top l-r: A march by Mapuche people in 2008; YouTube lessons by Amulzugun.cl, a project to support the Mapuche languages; and children on the march in 2007 Centre l-r: Antonio with Mapuzungun speaker Catalina Nawelpan in 2003; traditional dancers; and panpipe players at the 2007 march Bottom l-r: A Mapuche ceremony in José de San Martín; graffiti meaning 'War Council' in Mapuzungun; and ceremonial drummer Aurora Mariñamku