Simply put, my two days at
the Smithsonian Folklife festival were not enough. I have been attending for 14
years, but this year I could have spent a full week. As it was, I immersed
myself solely in one area, One World, Many Languages: Endangered Languages and
Cultural Heritage. I was truly moved both personally and professionally. Words cannot
do justice to the panels I listened to, the rituals I witnessed, and the music
that surrounded me. But let me try and communicate the message I absorbed over
those two days.
The pride, optimism and
persistence of these groups of people will keep their languages and cultures
alive! Through frequent visits to Otavalo when I lived long term in Ecuador, I
had experienced first hand the language and culture of the Kichwa people. There
was just something about all of these groups (Kichwa from Otavalo and Quichua Bolivia,
Native American from Oregon, Hawaiian, Welsh, Garifuni from the Caribbean) coming
together under one tent, exchanging ideas, experiences, hopes and dreams, all
in the same space that made the experience simply surreal. They came from distinct
lands, some had never left their communities let alone flown in an airplane to
another continent; others were well travelled; many were tri-lingual – but ALL
had similar experiences, values, and hopes. They were optimistic and positive,
and pride filled their hearts. They want to protect their language and pass on
their culture – in sum keep their lives alive! As a native English speaker and
a teacher of Spanish as a second language I cannot deny the guilt I felt over
those two days, for being a promoter of languages that initially took theirs
over and have greatly influenced their way of life. However, never did any of
them take a negative stance; they simply stated why their language and culture
is important to humankind; what they are doing to preserve it, and the impact
(both positive and challenging) the dominant languages have on their lifestyle.
Hawaiians as entire families,
Masters of Hula, (a language in itself I quickly learned) owners of Quechuan
language schools, as well as directors of music schools, and Garifuni drummers
and dancers all came together to share their experiences through verbal and
artistic presentations. I walked away
with a more thorough understanding of what encompasses culture, an expanded
definition of language, and an appreciation of the impact a solid “community
identity” has on the success of their efforts.
Although I have not walked in
the shoes of these individuals, through their honest, raw, positive and willful
sharing, I felt that I was given the opportunity to try on their shoes and in
doing so march with them on their journey toward revitalizing their languages
and cultures.
A summarization of their
thoughts, ideas, expressions and concerns:
A Quechuan Master from
Bolivia – sitting in traditional dress (wool poncho) in 100 degree weather,
speaking in 3 languages:
- We are all people. We are the same humanity. Be Proud.
- When you have a strong identity and are proud, you want to share that with others. It is wonderful to share and learn from others. It is a two way street.
- There is unity in diversity. Unidad en la diversidad.
- We need to preserve the symbolic value of our heritage, of our craft. Let’s not water it down, and let our crafts be mechanically reproduced.
From a Hawaiian Professor:
- Endangered languages are not in the same category as other languages. You must have a revitalization plan. You must speak solely that language in your home. English is the dominant language once you leave your home. An endangered language must stay dominant in the home.
- The Professor’s daughters added. I speak Hawaiian because it is a gift to give away to our people and I want to speak Hawaiian so the people can see this is our land; we are not the foreigners.
From a Colombian Scholar:
- There are 102 cultures in Columbia in danger of extinction.
- These cultures should not be seen as communities to study but communities within their own right.
From a Siletz young adult and
a Siletz leader:
- There are only 5 fluent Siletz Dee-ni speakers and 12 casual ones (located in Oregon around Eugene).
- You have to make a commitment, a true priority to speak the language. With a commitment it wont work.
- You can create your own micro-community of learners; if you don’t it is very lonely.
All of these advocates of
their languages referred to:
- Periods of time in history where they were prohibited to speak their language.
- Language and culture are thoroughly intertwined and cannot be separated.
- The day our language dies our people die.
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