Language and Culture

Over the past 25 years, Richard A. Grounds (Yuchi), Ph.D., has worked with Yuchi Elders to create new Yuchi speakers and bring his language back into his community, as well as advocating for Indigenous Peoples' language rights globally. He is currently Chair of the Global Indigenous Languages Caucus and Executive Director of the Yuchi Language Project. An article by Dr. Grounds on Yuchi language revitalization in the face of intellectual colonialism appears in Indigenous Languages and the Promise of Archives, from the University of Nebraska Press.

Leya Hale, 36, lives in St. Paul. She was born and raised in the Los Angeles area. She is Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota and Navajo. She is a storyteller, a documentary filmmaker, and a producer with Twin Cities PBS (TPT), where she’s been working for the past eight years. Her recent film, "Bring Her Home," addresses the epidemic of Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women in the United States. 

The Yiaku people of Kenya have been living in the Makugodo Forest for a long time as hunter-gatherers.
In the past decade, the Kenyan government has asked them to officially manage the forest.
The forest has been thriving under their care.
What is not thriving, however, is the language of the Yiaku people
On the eve of International Mother Tongue Day 2022, we spoke to Moffat Kihoro who will tell us about an app that will help to revitalize the Yiaku language.
Produced by Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan)
Voices: Moffat Kihoro

Technology has the potential to address some of the greatest challenges in education today. It can accelerate efforts towards ensuring equitable and inclusive lifelong learning opportunities for all if it is guided by the core principles of inclusion and equity. Multilingual education based on mother tongue is a key component of inclusion in education.
What are the challenges on the ground when it comes to teaching Indigenous languages?
Cultural Survival spoke to Erna Esme Honnes – a Khoekhoegowab teacher from the Damara people of Namibia who told us more.

In this radio program, Bush Radio 89.5 FM in Cape Town talks to Chris Nissen, The Human Rights Commissioner of South Africa on the importance of revitalizing Indigenous Languages.

Produced by Bush Radio
Interviewee: Chris Nissen

Bush Radio is a popular and pioneering community radio station in South Africa. The station broadcasts programs in English, Afrikaans, and isiXhosa from Salt River, Cape Town on 89.5 MHz FM, with a music and talk format aimed at the 18 to 39 age group.
In this podcast, Bush FM discusses the resurgence of Khoi and San languages in Southern Africa.
Produced by Bush FM.

According to ockbaywaywampum.com, "wampum is the bead cut from the Quahog shell, its distinctive purple and white bands create beautiful natural diversity in the material, which can be smoothed to a high polished shine. The Quahog clam is geographically limited to the coastal waters between Maine and Long Island and was harvested for food and made into jewelry by the coastal peoples of the North-Eastern region.

Indigenous women are the traditional keepers of Indigenous languages and cultures. During a three-day virtual conference organized by Cultural Survival, from October 5 - 7, 2021, titled, “Restoring and Protecting Our Native Languages and Landscapes”, over 30 Indigenous language practitioners and experts shared that Indigenous women have the greatest role in the revitalization and preservation of Indigenous languages.

In light of the upcoming United Nations International Decade of Indigenous Languages, Cultural Survival is held a 3-day virtual conference, "Restoring and Protecting Our Native Languages and Landscapes.” The purpose of this conference was to equip individuals working at the community level with tools and best practices for revitalizing and strengthening Indigenous languages and the Traditional Ecological Knowledge carried within them.
The conference was held from October 5th to October 7th, 2021.
Produced by Shaldon Ferris(Khoisan)

Riverside FM and Cultural Survivals Indigenous Rights Radio are embarking on a project that will see the last fluent speaker of the N/uuki language of the San people, record an audio dictionary.
Produced by Riverside FM
Music "Anania2" by the Baba Project, used with permission.
Image: Riverside FM Logo