Understanding Indigenous Languages and Why They Matter

What makes a language an “Indigenous language”? What is the difference between a language and a dialect? And why is it important to raise awareness about Indigenous languages?

This blog seeks to provide answers to these questions, as well as examine the effects of colonialism on Indigenous communities and their languages, and explain why Indigenous language accessibility and conservation matter.

What's the difference between a language and a dialect?

A language is a set system of symbols and meanings that follow grammatical rules that people use to communicate. These systems can be spoken, written, or signed. Some languages don’t have a written form, while others exist only in written form because they are no longer spoken. A language doesn't need to have a widely used or developed writing system to be considered a language. The number of speakers is also not considered when distinguishing between languages and dialects. That means a language with only five total speakers is just as much of a language as one with five million speakers.?

A dialect is a variation within a specific language. Dialects of a language often have a spectrum of mutual intelligibility, meaning that speakers of different dialects of a language may be able to understand each other most of the time, some of the time, or not very well, depending on the dialect. Dialects form as regional or social variations of a language over time. While a dialect will usually follow most of its “parent” language's rules, it might differ in terms of grammar, pronunciation, or vocabulary.?

For English, some of the most easily identifiable dialects would be American English, British English, and Australian English. In most cases, English speakers from the U.S. and England can communicate without issues, despite the fact there are words, pronunciation, and even grammar that have changed between the two over time. An easy example of a linguistic difference would be the word “pants”. In both American and British English the word “pants” exists, but has developed a different meaning in each area. In England “pants” refers to undergarments whereas “trousers” refers to what we in America would call “pants.” In summary, speakers of British and American English can easily communicate, albeit with just a few misunderstandings.

In theory, the distinction between a language and a dialect should be straightforward, but certain common misconceptions can affect the way we view languages, particularly Indigenous languages.??For example, it has become commonplace for people to call Indigenous languages “dialects”, even though they are referring to the language itself and not to a variant of that language. This stems mostly from the misconception that a dialect is a kind of “lesser language” that has fewer speakers, is uncommon, is comparatively underdeveloped, or is specifically associated with Indigenous peoples.?

Classifying Indigenous languages as dialects is not only incorrect but doing so can also have serious unintended consequences. For example, calling Mayan languages “dialects” may lead people to believe that Mayan languages are simply dialects of the Spanish language when in reality they couldn’t be more linguistically different.?

In the event that someone from Central America needs an interpreter, this could cause problems. If someone thinks that the Mayan languages are simply dialects of Spanish, they would be much more likely to proceed with a Spanish interpreter instead of trying to provide an interpreter for that person’s language. Ultimately, how we perceive languages has a major effect on our provision of language services and language accessibility.?

Removing the word Dialect From Our Vocabulary?

Once we have corrected our way of thinking about Indigenous languages to think of them as languages and not dialects, then it is important to understand the fact that each language can often have regional variants. Technically speaking, these variants can be referred to as “dialects” (because they meet the true definition of the word “dialect”), however, to avoid all confusion, and to encourage us not to misuse the word, we recommend removing the word dialect completely from our vocabulary. Instead, we recommend using the word “variant” to talk about regional variations within Indigenous languages. Indigenous languages, like colonial languages such as English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French, have regional variants that exist on the spectrum of mutual intelligibility that we discussed earlier.?

Within Mayan languages, there are several examples of regional variants that exist. Take K’iche’, for example: there are multiple variants of K'iche', and, while some are mutually intelligible, some are so distinctive that speakers of different variants cannot understand each other well because of varying accents and differences in vocabulary.?Mexican Indigenous languages also have many linguistic variants, meaning that although there are 63 recognized Indigenous languages in Mexico, there are over 350 distinct variants. At Maya Bridge, when we get requests for Latin American Indigenous languages, we need to go one step further to make sure that we also know what variant of that language we need to provide.

Calling Indigenous languages “dialects” can compromise the quality and level of attention that speakers of those languages receive. Court districts, healthcare organizations, and any others working with Indigenous populations cannot deliver culturally and linguistically appropriate language access services for those they serve unless they view these languages as languages, not “dialects”.?

What Makes a Language an “Indigenous Language

There are over 4,000 indigenous languages spoken in the world today, but speakers of those languages account for?just under 6% ?of the global population. This means that the vast majority of individuals on the planet do not speak an Indigenous language, but of the world’s over 7,000 documented languages still in existence, the majority of those are considered Indigenous languages.

Image from: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/cp/mapped-the-worlds-indigenous-peoples/ ?

Indigenous languages are those spoken by the native inhabitants of a particular geographic area before colonization or with heavy influence from another language or culture. We want to emphasize that these communities and their languages are long-established in their regions, existing well before modern borders and colonialism, and have developed over millennia. Speakers of Indigenous languages have often suffered decimation, discrimination, and worse from colonial powers.?

Only until relatively recently have many countries begun to officially recognize indigenous languages. Among the leading examples are?Bolivia , which recognized all 36 of its Indigenous languages as official state languages in 2009, and?Guatemala , which recognized its 24 indigenous languages as national languages in 2003.?

Indigenous languages are not typically used in schools, businesses, or governments, and have historically been looked down upon by speakers of non-Indigenous languages. Many were prohibited from being spoken in public in certain countries under colonialism,?including within the United States .

An Indigenous language is deeply intertwined with its community's customs, culture, and identity. For the communities that speak them, they often have deep historical roots and hold immense cultural and social value.?For the most part, they are spoken by comparatively fewer people, and many are at risk of extinction.?

Although many Indigenous languages are predominantly passed down orally, many once had vibrant writing systems that were intentionally destroyed by colonial forces to suppress Indigenous populations, such as?the Maya codices . Following generations of oppression, marginalization, and even genocide and ethnic cleansing, indigenous languages today are usually poorly documented or disappearing altogether.?

Indigenous languages usually also contain a wide range of context-specific vocabulary and terms associated with their environments as well as their community’s traditional practices and belief systems. The deep connection to the land is one of the most important factors that set Indigenous languages apart from other languages, often having specific terms for certain geographical elements or environmental characteristics found in their homelands.

Challenges Of Preserving Indigenous Languages

There’s a tendency in the majority of countries throughout the world to teach only colonial languages, like English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French in schools, meaning that each generation fewer and fewer individuals are learning their community’s Indigenous language. To make matters worse, there are a limited number of qualified teachers, teaching materials, and curriculums designed specifically for Indigenous languages. Without any emphasis on teaching Indigenous languages in schools, many are becoming at risk of extinction. However, the fact that Indigenous languages are excluded from educational systems is just one reason that the number of people speaking them is dropping.

Often in Indigenous communities, “Western” or colonial languages, like Spanish and English, are believed to be more valuable and important to learn. Consequently, many parents tend to push their children toward learning those languages and discourage them from putting any emphasis on their languages, believing that doing so will make them more employable and have better economic opportunities.?

The forced linguistic and cultural assimilation that was prevalent in colonial-era practices and has continued throughout many centuries has also created a negative stigma around speaking Indigenous languages. Throughout generations, this brutal suppression has led to fear and shame of speaking Indigenous languages. In some instances, it is so strong that, due to their own negative past experiences,?many parents are reluctant to teach their language ?to their children in order to avoid putting their children in similar situations. This fear and shame that has been horrifically ingrained into Indigenous cultures is rooted in a long history of oppression and discrimination, that in many places around the world, is sadly continuing today. This has serious consequences, as languages are being lost with each generation.?

With Indigenous parents speaking less, or not at all, to their children in their native languages, they could eventually disappear.

Why is it important to protect and preserve Indigenous languages and culture?

Besides being a means of communication, Indigenous languages contain an abundance of cultural and ecological knowledge, holding elaborate systems of knowledge that date back thousands of years - a result of having observed and exchanged information about the environment for millennia.?Many people today are starting to recognize the critical importance of Indigenous knowledge, particularly when it comes to resource conservation, climate health, community and social wellbeing, and other pertinent issues.?

Their languages have rich vocabularies and terms concerning natural environments, sustainable living practices, and traditional healing methods. Some Indigenous languages, for example, contain?specific information about species of plants that can help botanists study ecosystems better . Without a doubt, this knowledge has tremendous value for science, medicine, governments, and resource planning, and losing it would be detrimental.

Because this knowledge is typically passed down orally from one generation to the next if Indigenous languages disappear, so would the knowledge they contain, and it would not be possible to recover it.?

Language is a core element of culture. Whenever a language dies, its ties to culture and history die with it. A threat to Indigenous languages is a threat to Indigenous people, too. For Indigenous communities, language and culture are deeply associated with their pride and sense of self. Losing them could have adverse effects, like loss of self-esteem and cultural identity, as well as generational and cultural trauma.?

Language plays a role in?forming our worldview, ?how we see the world, and the way we process information. The convergence of thousands of worldviews, influenced by language, creates a rich fusion of ideas, personalities, and perspectives. With the loss of each Indigenous language, we risk losing knowledge, unique ways of thinking, and the global diversity that makes humankind truly beautiful.

Preserving and protecting indigenous languages and cultures can also contribute to advancing social justice and equality. Throughout history, and even still today, Indigenous Peoples have been subjected to discrimination, marginalization, and violence. Recognizing and preserving Indigenous languages and cultures can be a first step toward increased advocacy for Indigenous rights.

Maya Bridge - A Leading Advocate For Indigenous Language Access In The U.S.

Since 2021, Maya Bridge Language Services has been advocating for increased access for speakers of Mayan and other Latin American and global indigenous languages here in the United States. Maya Bridge is a mission-driven, niche interpretation agency offering 24/7 on-demand services for over 60 indigenous languages from Latin America, as well as African, Asian, Pacific Island, Native American and other indigenous languages.?

We have worked diligently to mobilize, train, and evaluate a network of hundreds of interpreters both in the US and throughout the world to ensure that speakers of Indigenous languages can fully understand and be understood in important situations like healthcare, legal settings, in disaster and emergency response scenarios, and in receiving access to government programs.?

Contact us ?to schedule a meeting or call us anytime, day or night, at (801) 753-8568.