Why is preserving Indigenous languages important?

Education

Apr 22

Content warning: discussion of residential schools and violence towards children

While most people are aware of the history regarding cultural genocide and forced assimilation in relation to Indigenous societies, many neglect to acknowledge one of the most vital mechanisms of these cruel processes: language. Language is an inseparable component of Indigenous culture, yet many individuals are unable to describe why exactly this is. Or perhaps even why language preservation is something that needs prioritization.

Indigenous languages hold historical significance

As aforementioned, Indigenous languages hold an extreme historical significance in their respective societies. Much of this can be traced back to times of cultural genocide and forced assimilation. An incredibly relevant example is the Canadian residential school system. This system was created in order to indoctrinate Indigenous children into Euro-Canadian and Christian ways of life, while simultaneously removing them from their native culture. This mentality has been referred to as ‘kill the Indian, save the man’ or ‘kill the Indian to save the child,’ due to the extreme cruelty Indigenous people faced at the hands of settlers. One of the tactics used in order to separate children from their Indigenous culture was instating bans on speaking any Indigenous language.

Indigenous author, Theodore Fontaine, describes his experience in the following excerpt, “I was startled when Sister S., the supervisor that day, almost knocked me on my back as she wrapped her powerful, bony arm around mine. I’d inadvertently said something in Ojibway. She’d assumed I was referring to her when a couple of the boys laughed at my comment. She yelled that she’d wash out my mouth with soap but instead dragged me to where she’d been sitting. I was shoved into a closet behind her chair.”

This horrifying description of abuse in residential schools is unfortunately only one of countless other stories detailing such mistreatment. Many of which can be traced back to the uses of one's native tongue.

Indigenous languages are an integral part of Indigenous culture

Another reason why Indigenous language preservation is important is that it is an essential part of Indigenous culture. For example, in many Indigenous communities and societies, oral history is one of the primary methods of passing on generational knowledge. This could include anything from literal history to songs, poems, or stories.

A Shoshone historian and tribal leader named Darren Parry, gives insight into this vital tradition, “[s]he’d (grandmother) tell me those stories over and over again. Not a word out of place, as she’s telling the story, because it had to be accurate. She needed to make sure that I heard the story, the way she had heard the story from her elders, because in this culture, nothing is ever written down. So, I went through that same process with her. And I’m probably the last generation that did.”

While Daren Parry echoes the fundamental nature of language in Indigenous societies, a young Indigenous man named Joel Charles was interviewed by Utah Public Radio and gave the following testimony of how oral history is being adapted to a modern era, “[o]ne thing I’ve noticed now is that a lot of people are actually sharing things on to YouTube. Now you can actually find a good amount of our stories told by Native American speakers that share their stories.”

However, the recounting of Indigenous history is not the only reason why language is an integral part of Indigenous culture. Another example is the rich and unique information stored in said languages, that pertains to the natural world. Today’s scientists regularly rely on and utilize Indigenous knowledge, in regards to native plant species. Traditionally, many Indigenous societies have developed their own ways of treating disease, or ailments, using natural substances. Furthermore, many societies have an intimate knowledge of their native ecosystem, oftentimes having a vocabulary for plants that scientists have not yet identified. This knowledge is being used more and more in scientific research and discoveries. A modern example is that scientists in the field of veterinary medicine, are studying herbal remedies administered to livestock in Pakistani Indigenous villages. They hope to eventually adapt these medicinal remedies into a standardized medicine that could help ensure the health of livestock in developing areas. This could potentially prevent some of the risks of farming, such as the potential for livestock infection with transmittable diseases, and the loss of revenue associated with such an event.

Indigenous languages are rapidly becoming ‘extinct’

Language preservation is important now more than ever! The United Nations estimates that every two weeks a language ‘dies.’ Other sources estimate that within the next century, anywhere from 50% - 90% of languages spoken on earth will become extinct. In relation to Indigenous languages in Canada, three-quarters of the Indigenous languages spoken there are labeled as ‘severely,’‘critically’, or ‘definitely’ endangered. The remaining quarter of Indigenous languages are being labeled as vulnerable. These numbers and statistics are highly concerning, but as the world becomes more digitized, more and more resources are being developed in order to teach and preserve these important languages.