On Friday, the United Nations launched International Decade of Indigenous Languages to help them survive, and protect them from extinction.
The organization has long supported indigenous peoples, who inherit and practice unique cultures and ways of relating to people and the environment.
One benefit for all
The President of the United Nations General Assembly, Csaba Kőrösi, said that preserving their language is important not only for them but for all of humanity.
“With every native language becoming extinct, so does thought: the culture, tradition, and knowledge it brought with it. That’s important because we desperately need a radical transformation in the way we relate to our environment,” he said. speak.
Indigenous peoples make up less than six percent of the global population but speak more than 4,000 of the world’s approximately 6,700 languages, based on United Nations Economic and Social Commission (DESA).
Alarm bells ring
However, conservative estimates indicate that more than half of all languages will be extinct by the end of this century.
Mr. Kőrösi has just returned from UN Biodiversity Conference in Montreal and was convinced that “if we want to successfully protect nature, we must listen to the indigenous people, and we must do so in their language.”
Indigenous peoples are the guardians of nearly 80 percent of the world’s remaining biodiversity, he said, citing data from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).FAO).
“Not yet every two weeks, a native language dies‘ he commented. “This should ring our alarm bells.”
The President of the General Assembly called on States to work with indigenous communities to protect their rights, such as access to education and resources in their mother tongue, and to ensure that they and their knowledge are not being taken advantage of.
“And perhaps most importantly, meaningfully consulting indigenous peoples, engage them in every stage of the decision-making process” he advised.
More than words
During the launch, the Indigenous and the UN Ambassador – sometimes one and the same – made the case for protection and conservation.
Language is more than just words, Mexican Ambassador Juan Ramón de la Fuente spoke on behalf of the 22-member Group of Friends of Indigenous Peoples.
“It is the essence of the identity of those who speak it and the common soul of peoples. Languages embody human history, culture and traditions, he warned, and they are dying at an alarming rate.
Ambassador Leonor Zalabata Torres of Colombia addresses members of the United Nations General Assembly at the launch of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages.
Cultural and intellectual identity
Leonor Zalabata Torres, an Arhuaco woman and UN Ambassador to Colombia, gave much applause for her speech, which was partly delivered in Ika, one of the 65 indigenous languages spoken in the country. her hometown.
“Language is an expression of wisdom and cultural identity, and a tool that gives meaning to our everyday realities that we inherited from our ancestors,” she said, turning to English. Spain.
“Unfortunately, linguistic diversity is at risk, and this is happening because of the dramatic drop in usage and the rapid replacement of indigenous languages with languages of majority societies.”
Ms. Zalabata Torres reported that the Colombian government has emphasized its commitment to implementing a 10-year plan for indigenous languages, focusing on pillars including consolidation, recognition, documentation and restoration.
Language and self-determination
Representative Aluki Kotierk said that for indigenous communities in the Arctic, language is important for political, economic, social, cultural and spiritual rights.
“In fact, every time a native utters a word in the native language, it is an act of self-determination,” she added.
However, Ms. Kotierk said vernacular and dialect “are at different levels of vitality”.
She envisions a time when the indigenous people of the Arctic “can stand tall above their homeland with dignity, knowing they can function in all aspects of their lives, in their own language.” , receive essential public services in the areas of health, justice and education.”
Mariam Wallet Med Aboubakrine, representative of indigenous peoples in the Socio-Cultural Region of Africa, addresses the United Nations General Assembly at the launch of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages.
Towards language equity
Mariam Wallet Med Aboubakrine, a doctor from Mali, advocates for indigenous peoples in Africa, especially the Tuareg people.
She called on countries to “make cultural and linguistic justice for indigenous peoples”, which will only contribute to reconciliation and lasting peace.
She expressed hope that the International Decade would culminate with the adoption of the United Nations Convention “so that every indigenous woman can hold and comfort her child in her own language; every native child can play in their own language; every young person and adult can safely express themselves and work in their own language, including in the digital space, and to ensure that all older people can communicate their experiences in their language.”
