Tuesday, February 21st, was the “International Mother Language Day,” although in Chile it is sometimes referred to as “International Day of Indigenous Languages.” International Mother Language Day is a creation of UNESCO and has been celebrated each year since 2000 and, as its name implies, the purpose is to promote native languages around the globe. In Chile, Indigenous peoples took time during the day to promote their own languages and cultures in a variety of ways, including celebrations, marches and public statements.
In Santiago, one of the largest organizations dedicated to Indigenous languages—Red por los Derechos Educativos y Lingüísticos de los Pueblos Indígenas de Chile (Red EIB)—released
a public statement summarizing the current state of Indigenous
languages in the country and calling on the government to take concrete
steps to preserve those same languages. Red EIB indicated that Chile
originally had eight spoken Indigenous languages, but now that number
has dropped to four, and none of those four languages are spoken by more
than one-third of their respective populations. The statement went on
to say that action was required to reverse this trend.
CONADI meets with speakers of endangered Indigenous languages in Chile. Photo credit: Gobierno de Chile
Specifically,
Red EIB made three policy suggestions. First, Red EIB asked that the
national curriculum reinstate the Indigenous education units that used
to be found in history, geography and social science classes, but that
were cut out earlier this year. Second, Red EIB called for strengthening
Indigenous language rights under Chilean law, which might include the
creation of a “National Institute on Indigenous Languages.” And finally,
the organization submitted a proposal to include intercultural
education—including bilingual education—throughout the country.
Elsewhere,
in the Araucanía Region of Chile, there was a march and several public
statements requesting that the government make Mapuzungun—the language
of the Mapuche people, and the most-spoken language in Chile outside of
Spanish—an official language (along with Spanish) of the Region. For
instance, members of the Mapuche organization Kolectivo We Newen,
sent letters to local government leaders requesting that the change
occur and that names of certain landmarks be expressed in Mapuzungun as
well. In Temuco—the largest city in the Araucanía Region—a peaceful
march was organized in support of the Mapuche language being made
official in that region of the country.
In other parts of Chile
large celebrations were organized for International Mother Language Day.
In Osorno, the main plaza held a two hour celebration during the
afternoon which included singing and poetry readings in Indigenous
languages. The celebrations were also a time to educate community
memebers about Indigenous languages and provided an opportunity for
Indigenous youth to hear the tongue of their ancestors. Similar
celebrations took place in other Mapuche communities as well as Aymara,
Quechua and Rapa Nui communities throughout the country.
Meanwhile...
Spokesperson for Rapa Nui family upset that hotel has opened on dispute site
Radio New Zealand International
A New
York-based Rapa Nui man says he is saddened and disappointed by the
opening of a luxury hotel on his ancestral land in Easter Island.
The Hangaroa Eco Village opened this month, a year after Chile sent
police units from the mainland to end protests by Rapa Nui on several
sites including the former Hangaroa Hotel.
Santi Hitorangi’s family staged a protest at the hotel over several months until being forcibly dispersed.
Their legal challenge against the use of their land by the
Chilean/German consortium which owns the hotel is still in the courts.
However Mr Hitorangi says the government has done little to help resolve the issue:
“The government has been in bed with the owners of the Hangaroa Hotel and they’re in fact using their police, their local justice system, to criminalise my people, my family, and use the local police as the private guards to keep out any protest and any attempt to re-take the Hangaroa Hotel.”
