Originally published on Global Voices

From left to right: Manuel de Jesús Pérez, Yamily Hu Yama, Carlos Chi, Roger Kuyoc, Marlene Sánchez, Juan Vázquez, Nehemias Chable, José Sánchez, Juan Gómez y Cristina Álvarez.

The Mayan Languages Digital Activism ​​(ADLM, for its initials in Spanish) is a program that promotes community digital activism projects in Mayan language-speaking communities, mainly in the states of Chiapas and the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. In 2024, the third cohort of this program has been selected and includes ten speakers of Mayan languages chosen for their community proposals that stood out.

These Fellows demonstrated a commitment to their community and a great interest in positioning their languages ​​in the digital space. They are speakers of the Yucatec Maya, Ch'ol, Tseltal, and Tsotsil.

Within the ADLM project, they will carry out different activities such as digital activism workshops, regional meetings, and the ADLM Fellowship program through support and mentoring with local activists with extensive experience. They will hold monthly virtual meetings with digital activists recognized for their experience in digital activism and community participation processes. In addition, a stipend of 2,500 USD is granted for the materials and equipment required for the development of their projects.

The methodology within the project includes peer learning, as it recognizes the experience of each of the people who participate and those who support them in the process. That is why during the program the scholarship recipients share their knowledge with the rest of the group as mentors.

As the final part of the program, the scholarship team will present their projects at the ADLM Summit in 2025, a space that brings together activists, researchers, communicators and organizations that are working to defend Mayan languages ​​and other languages ​​of Mexico and Latin America. There will be more information about this in the future.

The following are part of this year's selection:

Yamily Abigail Hu Yama
Language: Yucatec Maya
Community: Señor, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Roger Israel Kuyoc Tuz
Language: Yucatec Maya
Community: Tizimín, Yucatán, Mexico

Marlene Sánchez Guzmán
Language: Ch'ol
Community: Hidalgo Joshil, Chiapas, Mexico

Juan Vázquez Méndez
Language: Tseltal
Community: San Juan Cancuc, Chiapas, Mexico

Cristina Agustina Álvarez Díaz
Language: Tseltal
Community: Amatenango del Valle, Chiapas, Mexico

Nehemias Chable Hau
Language: Yucatec Maya
Community: Tahdziú, Yucatán, Mexico

José Raúl Sánchez Pérez
Language: Ch'ol
Community: Tila, Chiapas, Mexico

Juan Carlos Gómez Pérez
Language: Tseltal
Community: Ocosingo, Chiapas, Mexico

Manuel De Jesús Pérez Pérez
Language: Tsotsil
Community: San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico

Carlos Alberto Chi Chan
Language: Yucatec Maya
Community: Dzitbalché, Campeche, Mexico

We invite you to learn more about the previous editions of the Mayan Languages ​​Digital Activism Project:

• Felllows 2022
• 2023 ADLM Summit in Mérida, Yucatán
• Fellows 2023
• 2024 ADLM Summit in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas

The ADLM project is an initiative of Rising Voices with support from the W.K.Kellogg Foundation. 

Written by Marco Martínez Translated (en) by Teodora C. Hasegan · View original post [es]

Originally published on Global Voices

Photo of Ignacio Tomichá Chuvé by Anna Luisa Daigneault for Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages. Used with permission.

Note: This post is in memory of Ignacio Tomichá Chuve who passed away on September 6, 2023.

A gathering called “Conectándonos” or “Let’s Connect” organized by Rising Voices held in the city of Cochabamba in December 2011 served as a space for inspiration leading to action. During the panel discussion portion of the event, members of the collective Jaqi Aru discussed in detail how they were leveraging the internet to make sure that the next generation of speakers would not find the same lack of digital content in their native Aymara language. By using social media and audiovisual materials, they would take it upon themselves to be the catalyst for their language.

Listening to the presentation that day was Ignacio Tomichá Chuvé, a speaker of the Besɨro language from the Eastern lowlands of Bolivia. Little did anyone know that the wheels were spinning in his mind, imagining all the different ways he could similarly share his native language using digital tools. As soon as he returned home to the city of Santa Cruz, he began recording audio files to upload on his Soundcloud account, which included traditional songs, how to say greetings and other short lessons of the language. As a result of this peer learning and inspiration, his voice is present despite his absence and will remain available for future generations. Other platforms where his work can be found include a Facebook Page, YouTube channel, and Twitter account.

Born in the town of Naranjito located to the south of the city of Concepción in the department of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, Ignacio later grew up in the community of Monte Verde located 110 km to the north. For later studies and work, he then moved to the country’s largest city Santa Cruz where he found himself as a minority within the large metropolis.

In an interview he gave with Netza López for Rising Voices as part of his participation in the @ActLengus rotating Twitter account, he shared about his motivation:

Mi situación de estudio de secundaria y superior, en varias oportunidades se vio cargado de racismo y discriminación a los indígenas (colegio y universidad), y lo que había visto es la muy poca información real en el idioma Besɨro en el internet es por ello inicié utilizando herramientas digitales para dar a conocer el MONKOX (chiquitano), mi identidad.

My secondary and higher education experience was often marred by racism and discrimination against Indigenous people (both in school and university). What I had noticed was that there was limited information available in the Besɨro language on the internet. That's why I began using digital tools to promote MONKOX (Chiquitano), my identity.

He became part of a team that wanted to change the narratives around Indigenous people living in city settings. As a result, several members of Indigenous communities living in Santa Cruz would form the collective Voces Indígenas Urbanas (Urban Indigenous Voices), which started publishing on social media, its own blog, and a weekly radio program. One of the group’s co-founders, José Chuvé comments in an interview with Rising Voices:

Fue una de las primeras personas en utilizar las TICs para la difusión del idioma bésɨro , lo cual permitió llegar a más público, joven, sobre todo. Como comunicador indígena, en el programa radial Voces Indígenas Urbanas, espacio en el que conocí a mi amigo y hermano, transmitía cantos y cuentos en el idioma bésiro. Una persona muy querendona y comprometida con la nación Monkox chiquitana.

He was one of the first people to use ICTs [Information and Communication Technologies] for the promotion of the Bésɨro language, which allowed reaching a wider audience, especially the youth. As an indigenous communicator on the radio program “Urban Indigenous Voices,” where I met my friend and brother, he would broadcast songs and stories in the Bésiro language. He was a very affectionate person and deeply committed to the Monkox Chiquitana nation.

After news of his passing, Voices Indígenas Urbanas held a tribute program in his honor.

Another VIU co-founder, Isapi Rúa, a guaraní communicator, provides this insight into Ignacio's work:

Ignacio Tomichá expandió los caminos para la revalorización de las lenguas indígenas, desarrollando no solo investigación si no además difundiéndola en diversos espacios entre ellos, en la radio. Junto a Ignacio fundamos el programa Voces Indígenas Urbanas, durante 10 años, su participación fue clave en ampliar los conocimientos de los pueblos indígenas de tierras bajas para potencializar estas prácticas en las comunidades urbanas y rurales.

Ignacio Tomichá paved the way for once again demonstrate the value of indigenous languages, not only conducting research but also disseminating it in various spaces, including on the radio. Together with Ignacio, we founded the Urban Indigenous Voices program, which ran for 10 years. His involvement was instrumental in expanding the knowledge of lowland indigenous peoples to enhance these practices in urban and rural communities.

Ignacio Tomichá Chuvé broadcasting as part of the Urban Indigenous Voices radio program. Photo by Voces Indígenas Urbanas. Used with permission.

His work soon began to be recognized on an international level where he took part in workshop Enduring Voices: Digital Media Workshop for Speakers of Endangered Languages in Latin America organized by the Enduring Voices Project (Living Tongues Institute + National Geographic Society), where Ignacio started working on a Bésiro Living Dictionary that included audio entries.

Anna Luisa Daigneault, from the Living Tongues Institute, wrote a moving tribute on her Facebook account, including these excerpts:

Today, I mourn my Bolivian colleague, Ignacio Tomicha Chuve (1985–2023). A kind, inquisitive, helpful and driven person, he possessed all the qualities of a great leader. And indeed, as one of the first-ever Indigenous Bésɨro linguists, he invested himself into the documentation and revitalization of his native tongue with great dedication.

This past year, I had the great honor of helping him edit and upload over 900 new words and phrases in his language into an online dictionary that he had authored, the Monkox Bésɨro (Chiquitano) Living Dictionary, which we had started back in 2013 at the Voces Duraderas workshop in Chile. We had plans for uploading hundreds more entries this year alone. His unexpected passing leaves a great sadness in me. I send my sincere condolences to his family and loved ones in Bolivia.

Gathering of participants at the Enduring Voices workshop. Photo by Rising Voices. Used with permission.

Oxford University doctoral student Brittany Hause met Ignacio through collaborating on organizing an international virtual conference Ignacio himself named Bobikíxh, which brought together academics and speakers of Indigenous languages of the Chiquitana region of Bolivia. Brittany said,

Ignacio/Ñasio was convinced that the language of his parents and grandparents was something to be valued, rejoiced in, and cultivated by its speakers now and for generations to come. He didn't view Bésɨro as an intriguing relic of the past, but as an integral, non-negotiable feature of his daily existence. The myriad ways he lived this conviction as father, son, researcher, writer, teacher, translator, and public speaker compelled his relations, neighbors, friends, and colleagues to share his view of Bésɨro as a communal asset to be nourished and cherished rather than as a dying force to be prematurely mourned. For those who knew him in life, that influence remains strong, and the books, recordings, and other materials Ignacio/Ñasio's years of dedicated work have left behind will continue to inspire and encourage the same perspective even in those, young or old, who never had the chance to meet him.

Written by Eduardo Avila

Originally published on Global Voices

Rising Voices, the media development section of Global Voices, is pleased to announce the Mayan Languages Digital Activism Summit 2023, which will take place at the Grand Museum of the Mayan World in Mérida, Mexico on January 11–15.

The Summit, the culmination of the first year of a project supporting the promotion of Mayan languages in digital spaces, will facilitate peer learning and exchange between digital activists and communities working to promote, preserve and revitalize the family of Mayan languages in Mexico and beyond using digital media and technology.

Summit activities

Fellows Gathering (January 11 & 12): For the past eight months, Rising Voices has been supporting 10 Fellows from the Yucatan Peninsula and Chiapas. The group has been engaged in a peer learning process comprising virtual meetings and workshops. The Fellows also have been running a community-based project promoting their languages in a variety of digital spaces. This gathering will offer the group an opportunity to meet and get to know each other in person, to reflect on the impact of their projects, and to make recommendations for the next round of fellowships which start in March 2023.

Digital Activism Workshop (January 11 & 12): Thirty Maya language speakers have been invited to take part in a two-day workshop called “Strengthening your language on the Internet,” in which they will learn to develop a personal strategic plan to begin or continue their digital activism activities. Led by two facilitators from Chiapas, Mexico and Guatemala, the workshop and will incorporate tactics developed as part of a toolkit project in collaboration with UNESCO.

Hip-Hop Exchange (January 11-12): With the support of the Canadian Embassy in Mexico, we are bringing together producers, artists, and filmmakers who work with First Nations youth in Canada and Mayan youth in Mexico for a cross-regional exchange about using creative platforms to showcase culture and language. The two-day meeting will include a workshop for youth from Mérida and surrounding areas.

Public Conference (January 13-14): On January 13-14, the Summit opens its doors to the public (registration required), with a program of panels and performances focused on Mayan languages and the digital activism surrounding them.

Mayan Illustrators Exhibition (January 13-14): During the public conference, artworks from across the region will be on display to celebrate the talent of Mayan artists. The featured artists were selected through an open call for illustrators to submit their work. See the ADLM website for the selected artists.

Community Visit (January 15): On January 15, the Fellows will visit a local community in Conkal, on the outskirts of Merida to share their project with community residents.

The Summit is made possible with the support of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Grand Museum of the Mayan World, Mexican Secretariat of Culture, the Canadian Embassy in Mexico, the Spanish Cultural Center in Mexico, and the National Indigenous Languages Institute (INALI).

Follow along on social media with the hashtag #ADLM23.

Written by Eduardo Avila

Originally published on Global Voices

The Ñembi Guasu reserve following a wildfire. Photo by Juan de Dios Garay for Fundación Nativa. Republished with permission.

Droughts, wildfires, flooding, and deforestation are just some of the environmental pressures plaguing Bolivia’s Gran Chaco region. Yet, according to those affected by these realities on the ground, international media ignore these issues unless there are catastrophic consequences, such as the wildfires that have ravaged the region over the past several years. Local media, say people from affected areas, also miss important aspects of the story.

A key missing ingredient in media reporting is the perspective of local people, in particular those from Indigenous and other rural communities, and of women, who tend to bear the brunt of the effects of climate changes. Including local perspectives, or making space for local people to contribute their stories, allows the media to reframe existing narratives and promote a deeper understanding of the consequences of environmental damage and climate change and the steps needed to mitigate these effects.

Located in southeastern Bolivia, the Gran Chaco is part of a larger ecological area, or biome, spanning approximately 750,000 square kilometers across four countries. Sparsely populated and geographically distant from most major urban centers, most of what the public knows about the region is filtered through infrequent media coverage that focuses primarily on catastrophes such as the wildfires. Less well known is the region’s ecological importance and astounding biodiversity, which numbers approximately 3,400 plant species and hundreds of bird, mammal, reptile, and amphibian species. The continent’s second largest forest is threatened on a daily basis by human settlement and poorly planned cattle-raising and agro-industrial projects, and the effects of those activities on the lives of  local populations. A 2020 study by Global Change Biology Journal found that in order to adequately conserve this biodiversity, 23 percent of the biome should be protected, but currently only 5 percent holds that status.

The Gran Chaco and media representation

By examining a word cloud generated from a collection of Bolivian online media by the Media Cloud platform, one can discern patterns in the way the region is discussed. The word cloud below, for instance, generated by a search for the term “Gran Chaco” over 2021, highlights the Bolivian media’s focus on the petroleum and gas industries, road construction and other infrastructure development projects, as well as the topic of regional autonomy. This sample includes only one mention of a natural disaster: “derrumbes” (landslides).

Word cloud for the term “Gran Chaco”

As many news outlets and social media sites are not searchable in the platform, the visualization above does not provide an exhaustive picture of the way Bolivian media talk about the Gran Chaco, but it does offer a useful starting point for further discussion and reflection.

To gain further perspective on how the public and the media are discussing the issues of climate change and the environment in the Gran Chaco region, Rising Voices conducted interviews with 26 regional actors ranging from local journalists and Guaraní indigenous communicators to NGO staff, and local government officials. The insights gained from the interviews provided a critical local perspective on the problems faced by the region from a diversity of viewpoints, creating a much fuller picture of the issues and how people living and working in the region are dealing with them.

Among the opinions and ideas expressed by interviewees were narratives such as:

• The authorities are turning a blind eye to illegal settlement in protected areas
• Access to water should be treated as a fundamental human right
• Climate change leads to more frequent periods of drought
• Unregulated slash and burn techniques are a leading cause of wildfires

Even more telling were the opinions and ideas that interviewees expressed regarding the narratives that are missing or perceived to be missing in the media about climate change in the Bolivian Chaco. Some of these missing narratives include:

• We should listen to women environmental activists and women’s collectives when seeking solutions to climate change.
• Climate change is leading to mass migration from the countryside to the cities
• Indigenous communities have a unique approach to finding a balance between preservation and using the land for survival
• Climate change threatens medicinal plants important for the Indigenous communities’ way of life
• The authorities target smaller producers for environmental lawbreaking and not the larger companies

Mapping media sources

The sources from which the region’s residents and others working to mitigate the effects of climate change receive information is also an important consideration. Sources cited by interviewees included traditional media, especially television, newsletters created and distributed by NGOs, independent online media outlets, social media groups, messaging app groups, and influential local individuals.

Independent media outlets such as Nómadas, La Región, and La Brava employ investigative methods to highlight structural problems that contribute to the degradation of the environment. Nómadas produced an important report about the construction of a clandestine bridge near a protected area that led to the deforestation of 3,000 hectares. Newsletters such as “El Chajá” from the organization Nativa are distributed by email and messaging apps.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZUPe4SMfwj/

A lone tree has stood like a frightened ghost in the center of the empty lot, where until a moment ago, hundreds of healthy trees were once there.

Radio Santa Cruz, based in the country’s largest city, also produces a podcast focusing on conservation issues and radio public service announcements available in the region’s Indigenous languages. Indigenous communities such as the Guaraní, Ayoreo, and Chiquitano, comprise 8 percent of the entire Gran Chaco multi-country region, and increasingly use community radio and social media to share their work. Two examples are the Radio station Ñande ñee and the podcast Paso a Paso con la Autonomía Charagua Iyambae are produced in the autonomous Indigenous community of Charagua Iyambae.

A mobile phone application from the Collaborative Communications Platform of the Environmental Defenders provides a space for exchanges of information, access to resources, and a way to provide alerts about environmental violations.

Individuals like Leonardo Tamburini, the executive director of the organization ORE, share links and commentary on matters affecting the region, such as the clandestine bridge cited above, which are in turn commented on, shared and amplified by friends and followers. This ORE-produced video shines a light on the effects of the wildfires on members of the Ayoreo Indigenous community, who have voluntary isolated themselves in the region.

It was not always possible to find information about the ownership of many of the media outlets, which would shed light on potential biases, conflicts of interest, or other motivations for sharing  or omitting opinions and ideas. As part of RV's mapping of the region’s media sources, we found that generally, outlets funded or supported by NGOs or local governments proved to be more transparent, providing the audience a greater contextual understanding.

Opportunities to play a role in shaping narratives

There have been increasing efforts to engage historically excluded communities in the creation of media, many of which have focused on providing internet connectivity and training, and amplifying the communities’ work. Communities that produce their own media and play a greater role in civic life can play a major role in diversifying the coverage provided by their local media.

“I am from the Chaco, I am the river, I am the forest. Preserving the land is my duty. Stop the deforestation.” Mural in Villamontes, Bolivia. Photo by Knorke Leaf and used with permission.

Improving internet connectivity is one of the goals of the multi-country project Nanum: Mujeres Conectadas (Connected Women), which seeks to provide internet access to help rural women play an active role in finding solutions to the effects of climate change.

In Charagua Iyambae, the Indigenous Journalism School administered by the organization ORE and the Arakuaarenda Foundation is providing media training for Indigenous and Afro-Bolivian youth across the region. In an interview with Charagua Radio Santa Cruz, one of the School’s students, Briza Abapori, said:

En nuestras comunidades hay mucha información que tiene que ser difundida; muchos comunarios no saben qué es lo que ocurre en el territorio. También la comunicación es importante en esta etapa de cambio a Autonomía.

In our communities there is a lot of information that needs to be disseminated; many community members do not know what is happening in the territory. Communication is also important in this stage of change towards Autonomy.

Also providing citizen journalism training is the media outlet Muy Waso in partnership with the Nativa Foundation and Mujeres Nanum. Other activities such participatory mural projects in the towns of Charagua, Villamontes, and Puerto Quijarro organized by artist Knorke Leaf also provides actions to introduce narratives in offline settings.

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A post shared by Nanum Mujeres Conectadas | #ImpactoSocial (@mujeresnanum)

Such initiatives train more people to not only critically consume information but also actively challenge incorrect or incomplete ideas or information providing a more holistic picture of the serious effect climate change is having on these communities.

Fabiola Gutíerrez and Isapi Rua contributed to the research and analysis for this article.

Written by Eduardo Avila

Around 40 percent of the more than 7,000 languages spoken globally are considered endangered. Among the strategies being employed by Indigenous communities is the use of digital technologies to enhance the learning and promotion of their languages. Creating a new generation of young speakers is especially crucial, as according to UNESCO's Language Vitality and Endangerment scale, intergenerational transmission and the use of a language in new domains are key factors in determining a language's health.

This special episode of Global Voices Insights was recorded live on July 13 (July 14 for audiences in Oceania) and brought together the following language advocates and activists from Australia and Mexico to talk about their experiences.

Organized by Global Voices’ Rising Voices initiative and First Languages Australia with the support of the Embassy of Australia in Mexico, the session featured the following:

Annalee Pope: Annalee is Wakka Wakka woman from Central Queensland, Australia. Annalee began working to revive and strengthen Aboriginal languages in 2013, when she became the Coordinator of the Central Queensland Language Centre. Annalee joined First Languages Australia as a project officer on the Priority Languages Support Project, and then got involved with First languages Australia’s Young Champions program when it began in 2013. She has since become a mentor for young language champions.

Joaquín Yescas Martínez: Joaquín is a Zapoteco Xhidza man from Oaxaca, Mexico, co-founder of the Xhidza Collective and Coordinator of Xhidza Telecommunications, founder and coordinator of the Xhidza Penguin School, and technician and audiovisual producer at Radio Bëë Xhidza. Joaquín is an activist for indigenous languages, Free Software, free culture, hacker ethics and community philosophy.

Maria Lilia Hau Ucan: Maria is originally from Kinil, Yucatan, Mexico. A lawyer by training, she has worked as a teacher, speaker, translator, interpreter and collaborator on different projects with community and revitalization approaches focused on the Mayan language and culture.

Rachel Dikul Baker: Dikul is a Yolŋu woman from the Northern Territory in Australia. When she's not traveling the world running marathons, she mentors other young Yolŋu women, helping them build resilience and self-esteem and identify career pathways that fulfil their potential. Dikul’s role at ARDS Aboriginal Corporation involves documenting Yolŋu languages, cross-cultural facilitation and translation, broadcasting on Yolŋu Radio and language literacy activities. She speaks Djambarrbuyngu and four other Yolŋu languages.

Isela Xospa (Moderator): Isela is a designer, illustrator, and editor, originally from the Milpa Alta in the Nahua southeast region of Mexico City. She has worked for the Fondo de Cultura Económica, ILCE México and the David Bowie Archive, and is the founder of Ediciones Xospatronik, where she writes, illustrates, and edits books for children and young people in indigenous languages.

The episode replay is also available with Spanish and English voiceover.

Written by Eduardo Avila

Originally published on Global Voices

Around 40 percent of the more than 7,000 languages spoken globally are considered endangered, and with the start of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages only six months away, Indigenous communities around the world are reflecting upon both the challenges facing their languages, and on the actions they must take to preserve and revitalize them.

Among the strategies being employed by Indigenous communities is the use of digital technologies to enhance the learning and promotion of their languages. Creating a new generation of young speakers is especially crucial, as according to UNESCO's Language Vitality and Endangerment scale, intergenerational transmission and the use of a language in new domains are key factors in determining a language's health.

Join us on July 13 (July 14 for audiences in Oceania) for a special episode of our Global Voices Insights webinar series, bringing together language advocates and activists from Australia and Mexico around the topic “Indigenous+Digital: How young people are revitalizing their native languages on the internet.”

Organized by Global Voices’ Rising Voices initiative and First Languages Australia with the support of the Embassy of Australia in Mexico, the session will be live-streamed on YouTube starting at 7pm Mexico City time (CDT)/10am Sydney time (AEST). Click here to calculate the equivalent time in your time zone. Simultaneous interpretation will be available through the Zoom platform for registered participants.

The session is free and open to the public and will be live streamed on Zoom (registration required) and YouTube. 

[Register for the webinar]

The webinar will feature the following:

Isela Xospa (Moderator): Isela is a designer, illustrator, and editor, originally from the Milpa Alta in the Nahua southeast region of Mexico City. She has worked for the Fondo de Cultura Económica, ILCE México and the David Bowie Archive, and is the founder of Ediciones Xospatronik, where she writes, illustrates, and edits books for children and young people in indigenous languages.

Annalee Pope: Annalee is Wakka Wakka woman from Central Queensland, Australia. Annalee began working to revive and strengthen Aboriginal languages in 2013, when she became the Coordinator of the Central Queensland Language Centre. Annalee joined First Languages Australia as a project officer on the Priority Languages Support Project, and then got involved with First languages Australia’s Young Champion program when it began in 2013. She has since become a mentor for young language champions.

Joaquín Yescas Martínez: Joaquín is a Zapoteco Xhidza man from Oaxaca, Mexico, co-founder of the Xhidza Collective and Coordinator of Xhidza Telecommunications, founder and coordinator of the Xhidza Penguin School, and technician and audiovisual producer at Radio Bëë Xhidza. Joaquín is an activist for indigenous languages, Free Software, free culture, hacker ethics and community philosophy.

Maria Lilia Hau Ucan: Maria is originally from Kinil, Yucatan, Mexico. A lawyer by training, she has worked as a teacher, speaker, translator, interpreter and collaborator on different projects with community and revitalization approaches focused on the Mayan language and culture.

Rachel Dikul Baker: Dikul is a Yolŋu woman from the Northern Territory in Australia. When she's not traveling the world running marathons, she mentors other young Yolŋu women, helping them build resilience and self-esteem and identify career pathways that fulfil their potential. Dikul’s role at ARDS Aboriginal Corporation involves documenting Yolŋu languages, cross-cultural facilitation and translation, broadcasting on Yolŋu Radio and language literacy activities. She speaks Djambarrbuyngu and four other Yolŋu languages.

Written by Eduardo Avila

Originally published on Global Voices

Art by Tsista Kennedy and republished with permission.

Woodland style art can be characterized by its colorful figures, dark black lines, and as one British Columbia art studio describes it, as “native art that blends traditional legends and myths with contemporary mediums.” It’s a style that 19-year-old artist, Tsista Kennedy, of the Anishnaabe and Onyota’aka Nations of London, Ontario, Canada has embraced, making a distinct mark by incorporating the traditional and the modern. Kennedy's work can be seen as murals in local health centers, in galleries, and as the visual brand for the Indigenous Friends Association, a social enterprise focusing on how technology can support indigenous communities.

This genre of art is often credited to Norval Morrisseau, a First Nations Ojibwe artist from Northern Ontario, who developed it in the mid-20th-century. However, many artists put their own mark and interpretation on the style. Kennedy states the importance that art has had in his life, “My artwork is a reflection of my perspective as a young indigenous man and father navigating colonial and traditional settings and ways of life.” It's a story that he tells in an audio format uploaded to YouTube about “growing up as an indigenous boy with long hair.“

In an email interview with Rising Voices, Kennedy shares his approach to his art.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Indigenous Friends Association (@indigenousfriends)

Rising Voices (RV): What is your approach to incorporating elements of digital media and technology into your artwork? What is the message that you seek to share by combining those elements? 

Tsista Kennedy (TK): My approaches for incorporating elements of digital media and technology into my artwork did not exist until I’d been hired by the Indigenous Friends Association. Prior to joining the amazing team behind IFA as an illustrator, my artwork was quite limited to utilizing in-the-moment sources of inspiration and involved little to no concepts of “indigenous futurisms.”

As I grew to understand the mission and vision of the Indigenous Friends Association and was able to apply them both to my own perspective as an artist, my illustrations for them grew to be a more natural feeling and genuine. ‘Inspire and support the imagination of Indigenous communities to create and maintain their digital technology to further their autonomy.’ When I was able to apply this mission to my own life, and the future I want for my children, grandchildren, and so on, it felt as though a switch had gone off in my thoughts.

No longer did I limit myself to this binary creative process of creating artwork. It wasn’t simply portraying events of the past, or events in the moment; I was given a key that had unlocked the door to exploring futuristic indigenous concepts within my own mind, and more imaginative concepts as a whole. Because of this newly found gateway to let in ideas from a futuristic concept, incorporating digital media and technological elements simply came as easy as applying my past concepts of traditionalisms and modernisms. The ease of doing this was simply a matter of becoming familiar with the concept.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CGTTxQjFl5a/

RV: What is your advice for others who may wish to explore how traditional indigenous imagery and art can mesh with digital technologies and the internet?

TK: When I was struggling to mesh traditional indigenous imagery with digital and technological concepts, my supervisor within the IFA had given me some powerful words to help me. ‘It can be as simple as realizing that there are indigenous people in the future,’ is what she’d told me. When our ancestors were met with the threat of genocide from the colonizers, they thought of indigenous people in the future; safeguarding our ceremonies, traditional knowledge, languages, and sacred items. We are those indigenous people in the future, and because of them we can have all of those things with us today.

My advice to anyone else who may struggle initially in exploring this concept of ‘indigenous futurisms,’ or more specifically combining indigenous imagery with digital technologies, would be to ask yourself this question:

“What are you doing today that will change the lives of your great grandchildren for the better?”

Growing up as a native in the city, I didn’t have my culture around me all the time as spiritual nourishment. When I was exposed to my culture, there was no gradient between my life navigating colonial education and sitting in a lodge during ceremonies. I was either in a public school preoccupied with classwork, or in a ceremonial setting receiving teachings and living in the moment. I feel as though these circumstances conditioned me to never think about combining digital technologies with our culture or communal advancement/healing without the help of the IFA.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CJCLCLDlYnh/

RV: What has been the impact or reception to some of your artwork incorporating imagery of technology or some of the pieces that showcase popular culture like the Baby Yoda/Mandalorian piece?  

TK: My artwork showcasing popular culture through a woodland-style aesthetic typically receives quite a bit of appreciation from other indigenous people. My woodland Baby Yoda in a cradleboard with the Mandalorian gained a huge amount of popularity, seemingly overnight. My woodland style ‘Bepsi‘ artwork that I created earlier this year sparked the same type of reaction.

One observation that has always remained constant throughout the past two years of my artistic career is that we as indigenous people love to see the world around us indigenized; it nourishes us with a sense of hope and belonging. It reminds us as indigenous people that we are still here, and we always will be.

My gift of creating artwork serves as a visual megaphone to the world, and through it I am able to take familiarized non-indigenous concepts and make them indigenous. I hope that in doing so I am inspiring indigenous youth to do the same through discovering, exploring, and utilizing their own gifts in a creative and thought-provoking way.

Written by Eduardo Avila

Originally published on Global Voices

Row of soldiers and policemen facing protesters marching against the 2009 Honduran coup. August 11, 2009. Photo Credit: Francesco Michele/Flickr

According to UNESCO’s Observatory of Killed Journalists, 38 journalists have been killed in Honduras since 2010. More than 70 percent of these cases are unresolved.

Those figures make Honduras the most dangerous place in the Americas for a practicing journalist.

Reporters Without Borders noted that journalists who are particularly outspoken or critical of the government “are often the target of death threats or violence or are forced to flee abroad. They are also often the targets of abusive judicial proceedings, and prison sentences for defamation are common, sometimes accompanied by bans on working as a journalist after release.”

On a first-person essay for Salvadoran outlet El Faro, Jennifer Ávila, the director of the Honduran digital investigative news site Contra Corriente, explained the difficulties of reporting in her country:

In Honduras, doing independent journalism means constantly running into a wall. This wall is built by mafia-run institutions that have silenced and terrorized whole communities. To simplify a complex reality, the media has labelled the country a narco-state.

Yet, Ávila believes that the biggest threat to Honduran journalism is the people's “fear and distrust.” Journalists are either seen as government sell-outs or political activists — and she argues that some Honduran media follow these patterns. This leaves little space for independent journalists to gain people's trust and search for the truth:

Journalists covering street protests are often labelled as “sell outs” or as “reporters of the people.” On one hand, they are seen as victims of the demonstrations, while on the other hand they are seen as aggressors. The popular belief that journalism is done to attack others and not to reveal truth explains a lot about power structures in Honduras. Journalism can either show the consequences of an event or turn that same event into a problem. It turns Honduras into even more of a hostile environment for journalism.

Ávila also argues that tragic stories of migrants deported back to places such as her hometown of El Progreso in Northern Honduras should go beyond simply detailing the humanitarian aspect. Stories should delve further into the power structures in play, which can bring about more scrutiny on the authorities, she says:

I told the story of Pilar, a member of COFAMIPRO, a committee made up of the mothers who organize every year to travel to Mexico in search of their sons or daughters who have disappeared while migrating north. Pilar has spent years searching for her daughter. (…) To be a mother in Honduras is to know that you may find your child’s body hacked into pieces. To be a journalist in Honduras is to know that these stories are not an exception. The country is in pain. Telling these stories means it’s also necessary to tell what causes them, but that’s just where more problems begin.

Please visit El Faro to read the full essay.

Written by Eduardo Avila

https://www.instagram.com/p/BtwNoswlBtn

Every Friday on social media, colorful images of traditional textiles and clothing from across Mexico highlight its rich cultural diversity. Through a campaign called “Viernes Tradicional” (Traditional Friday), which is in the spirit of the trend in some office environments of encouraging casual dress on “casual Friday,” images can be found on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

An invitation is made for indigenous and non-indigenous people to upload a photo of themselves wearing their favorite item of traditional clothing with the hashtag #ViernesTradicional and an accompanying description of the technique, origin, and if possible, the name of the artisan. The result is a weekly snapshot of designs and their background representing indigenous peoples of Mexico.

However, freely uploading these types of photos in such a public manner opens up the door for possible plagiarism leading to commercial exploitation, an ongoing challenge for artisans from Mexico and across Latin America, whose livelihoods depend on their original designs. As a result, this campaign provides a space to report potential plagiarism, and stresses the importance of better understanding the origin of these garments and the need to support local artisans.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BuwZYv1HoTN/

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A post shared by Viernes Tradicional (@viernestradicional)

Huipil en telar de cintura de San Juan Bautista, Oaxaca. Con representación del pavorreal y en el pecho tiene el ombligo del mundo la visión cósmica de los pueblos, que emana desde el centro del universo rodeada de los 4 puntos cardinales

Huipil made by waist loom from San Juan Bautista, Oaxaca. With representation of the peacock, and located on the chest, is the representation of the navel with cosmic vision of indigenous peoples, which emanates from the center of the universe surrounded by the 4 cardinal points

https://www.instagram.com/p/BstVr55BIkQ/

Los textiles mexicanos, tan coloridos, tan únicos, tan especiales… siempre reflejan amor, paciencia e historia ? Hupil Chenalhó de Chiapas – @estiloisabeles

Mexican textiles, so colorful, so unique, so special… always reflect love, patience, and history. Hupil from Chenalhó de Chiapas by @estiloisabeles

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A post shared by Jared Castro Ziga (@jaredcastro77)

#ViernesTradicional con la clásica camisa de algodón con bordado color petróleo de Jalapa de Díaz.

#ViernesTradicional with the classic cotton shirt with petroleum-colored embroidery from Jalapa de Díaz (Oaxaca).

https://www.instagram.com/p/BonIU_iDpYO

Written by Eduardo Avila

Illustration mashup created by Eddie Avila, utilizing the bird icon by Sara Novovitch, ES at the Noun Project, the voluta by Jer Clarke, and the Word It Out word cloud program.

Starting on Monday, January 14, a rotating roster of indigenous language digital activists from Latin America will take control of the @ActLenguas (Language Activism) Twitter account. Coordinated by Rising Voices, this social media campaign is taking place within the context of the International Year of Indigenous Languages 2019 and will provide a space for diverse voices from across the region to tell stories of their experiences with language revitalization.

Over the next 50 weeks, 50 different activists will take turns sharing their perspectives on what their native language means to them and their communities. These activists are all working to promoting the use of their languages in new domains like the internet, which presents many opportunities and challenges. But there is also an important offline component to their activism related to long-standing histories and contemporary contexts that affect the vitality of indigenous languages.

For the past five years, Rising Voices (RV) has been facilitating digital activism by helping to organize gatherings and workshops and providing microgrant funding and support to projects in the region. RV also highlights innovative digital initiative on our mapping website, but we feel that this campaign is especially important because those following along on Twitter will hear directly from the activists themselves.

Response to calls for participation has been extremely positive, as the roster for the first round through the beginning of May has already been filled. We opened the roster first to people who have taken part in one of the regional gatherings, microgrant programs, or other Rising Voices activities.

The participants

Our first host is Yásnaya Elena Aguilar Gil, a Mixe from the state of Oaxaca. Read more about her in this profile published on RV. Yásnaya, along with and her colleague Tajëëw Díaz-Robles, who'll be hosting later in the year, were some of the architects of the concept of “digital activism” as a strategy to promote languages and attract new speakers. While technology and the internet will not magically solve the serious problem of language loss, it can play an important role in a comprehensive strategy of language revitalization.

In October 2014, when the two women were working with the Juan de Córdova Library in Oaxaca, they partnered with Rising Voices on the first-ever national gathering of indigenous language digital activists that brought together more than 30 people from across Mexico for three days of peer learning and exchange. Created out of this meeting was a local network for mutual support and encouragement. Many of the people that participated in that first event are on the hosting roster for the @ActLenguas social media campaign.

After that meeting, national networks formed in countries such as Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, as well as local projects focusing on one language or a few languages in a specific area. People from these projects and networks are also well represented in this year-long campaign.

Their personal stories, hard work and dedication lie at the heart of these networks. These activists are eager to share these stories with people who may know very little about indigenous languages in Latin America, as well as with other indigenous communities and activists who will see in these stories echoes of their own experiences but also learn about other parts of Latin America and their unique contexts.

Participants who have signed on to manage the account include:

• Simona, a Mapuche grad student working on her doctoral degree in linguistics
• Leonardy, a Wayuu Wikipedian seeking ways to share knowledge in his language
• Rodrigo, a Zapotec researcher leading projects related to digital activism
• Ruben, an Aymara poet who recently published an award-winning book in his language
• Sasil, a Maya who manages a section of her local newspaper reporting news in her mother language
• Misael, a Triqui, and Netza, a Mixtec, both of whom are determined to ensure that free software is available in their languages

This is just a sampling of some of people at the center of this campaign to share stories of critical language-related work happening across Latin America. Visit the campaign page to see the current schedule, and stay tuned for short blog posts with profiles of each host.

This social media project was inspired by initiatives such as @IndigenousX in Australia, whose founder, Luke Pearson, provided important guidance in the planning stages. Global Voices’ own Instagram account is also managed by a rotating roster of community members and has been an excellent way to gain insights our diverse membership and the places where they live.

While the tweets will primarily be in Spanish and the native languages being highlighted, we are exploring ways to curate and translate key messages to further amplify these stories. You can support this campaign by following the @ActLenguas account throughout 2019, and by retweeting messages you find inspiring of interesting. Hosts are also eager for feedback and will do their best to respond.

Written by Eduardo Avila

Image: Napachie Pootoogook's “Lost in Storm” from the Kenojuak Cultural Centre and Print Shop. Used with permission by QIA. See here for the Instagram link.

The Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA) has taken to social media to encourage the increased usage of Inuktitut, the Inuit language. Based in the Qikiqtani (Baffin) Region of Nunavut, Canada’s youngest territory, the organization works to “safeguard, administer and advance the rights and benefits of the Qikiqtani Inuit”.

Their social media efforts are in keeping with their mission to promote the Inuktitut language. In an email interview with QIA, a representative of the organization wrote:

Language preservation is an integral part of building pride among Inuit, particularly young Inuit. Learning, speaking-in and thinking-in Inuktitut helps young Inuit feel more connected to our community and traditional values.

This is especially important because researchers note “a decline in the quality of Inuktitut in Nunavik — including poor grammar, a low level of vocabulary and increased mixing of Inuktitut with English.” According to the researchers’ report, contributing factors may include the influence of non-Inuktitut-language media and an insufficient number of teachers fluent in Inuktitut.

According to information collected from various sources by the Endangered Languages Project, there are between 14,000 and 30,000 native speakers of Inukutit, but the language is considered to “vulnerable” according to UNESCO's Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger.

The online campaign being conducted on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, introduces Inuktitut words written in Canadian Aboriginal syllabics and pairs them with prints produced by the Kenojuak Cultural Centre and Print Shop in Cape Dorset. The illustrations illuminate many aspects of Inuit culture.

The Word of the Day project is another of several initiatives designed to promote the language. The QIA sponsors an annual Inuktitut song and poem contest, as well as the production of early childhood education materials. In collaboration with Inhabit Media, an Inuit-owned publishing company based in Nunavut, the QIA produces children’s books authored by Inuit authors from the territory.

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A post shared by Qikiqtani Inuit Association (@qikiqtani_inuit)

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A post shared by Qikiqtani Inuit Association (@qikiqtani_inuit)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Qikiqtani Inuit Association (@qikiqtani_inuit)

To see the full set, visit the @Qikiqtani_Inuit Instagram account.

Written by Eduardo Avila

Photo provided by the artist Ótaés and used with permission.

Indigenous lives often go unnoticed by the mainstream United States. Ótaés, an artist from the Ramapough Lenape Nation, is determined to change that.

Using a combination of oil markers and wheat pastings, their work can be seen across the country and “centers around discussing injustices the Indigenous community faces and exposing erased or manipulated history in the Midwest and Appalachian region,” they told Rising Voices.

The Ramapough Lenape Nation spans lands in what's known today as New York and New Jersey. The artist gathers their research from a variety of sources ranging from archaeological records to oral history told by elders.

Through Instagram (@ndn.o), Ótaés has published more than 110 pieces of artwork. For example, this one calls attention to the fact that one-third of Native American children live in poverty:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Blx0MhVAsQf/

Through their art, Ótaés addresses inequalities in the justice system, violence against women, mental health issues, and racism facing Native American peoples.

Some of their messages focus on the recent history of Ramapough Lenape Nation's lawsuit against the Ford Motor Company. The Rampapough Lenape Nation accused the company of dumping hazardous waste down abandoned mines in New Jersey affecting their lands, causing serious health issues for residents:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BppCjB4l32e/

Ótaés often throws harrowing statistics about Native American life into their work to raise awareness of the injustices faced by their people.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BmGZT3iA2dt/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BoHI6XWA3bX/

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bo4K_utghJm/

To see the full set, please visit the @ndn.o Instagram account.

Written by Eduardo Avila

Originally published on Global Voices

A still from a GIF showing which hashtags unlock the Turtle Island emoji, designed by Chief Lady Bird. Via Twitter Canada.

Canadian Twitter users are able to use a specially designed emoji throughout the month of June to commemorate National Indigenous History Month. Created by Anishinaabe artist Chief Lady Bird, the emoji depicts a turtle, tree, and sun representing “Turtle Island,” which is the English name of the continent of North America as translated from a number of native languages.

Chief Lady Bird shared her thinking behind the design in a series of tweets. She said she first made sure to crowdsource ideas from other First Nations members on Twitter because of the challenges of finding imagery that encompasses the diversity of communities across the country.

Before I began creating the emoji, I wanted to ensure that some level of community consultation happened. As this design is meant to represent my community, I didn’t want to speak on behalf of anyone. Moreover, I wanted to bring a collective vision to life.

— Chief Lady Bird ? (@chiefladybird) June 1, 2018

Though there were some tight time constraints, I took to Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to gather suggestions for the emoji design! Based on the information I received, I created an official poll on Twitter with the four most popular options.

— Chief Lady Bird ? (@chiefladybird) June 1, 2018

Its important to note that I don’t believe that one symbol can represent the vastness of Indigenous people. Every nation, every language group, every clan, every individual indigenous person has a distinct story & it would be unfair to ever imply that we fall under one category.

— Chief Lady Bird ? (@chiefladybird) June 1, 2018

The final decision to create the Turtle Island emoji came from the official twitter poll (1,727 votes- 50% for turtle island) as well as the fact that turtle island is a decolonial view of the continent that we all belong to. pic.twitter.com/7dFEk8QU9a

— Chief Lady Bird ? (@chiefladybird) June 1, 2018

The emoji also pays homage to our reciprocal relationship with Mother Earth, as well as the Anishinaabe creation story in which a muskrat sacrifices herself to swim into the depths and bring up dirt to put onto the turtle’s back, to provide life and sustenance for all of creation

— Chief Lady Bird ? (@chiefladybird) June 1, 2018

As an Anishinaabe artist, I am careful not to appropriate from other nations, as I recognize how sacred all of our imagery and stories are. I am very vocal about cultural appropriation and like to walk my talk.

— Chief Lady Bird ? (@chiefladybird) June 1, 2018

There has been a lot of great dialogue throughout the design process, which I am so so grateful for. One of the main concerns was that the options in my poll did not reflect the inuit- and they didn’t. But I would never feel right about using symbolism that I don’t understand.

— Chief Lady Bird ? (@chiefladybird) June 1, 2018

The emoji can be “unlocked” by using the related hashtags #IndigenousHistoryMonth, #IndigenousPeoplesDay, #FirstNations, #Metis, #Métis, and #Inuit. It's the result of a partnership with Twitter Canada, one that Chief Lady Bird sees as a starting point for future collaborations:

For instance: this year the design was created by an Anishinaabe artist (I’m honoured and so excited! This is so surreal!) and next year it could be an Inuit artist and the year after i could be a Haudenosaunee artist and then Métis and then Mi’kmaq etc etc

— Chief Lady Bird ? (@chiefladybird) June 1, 2018

There is potential for this project to bloom into something larger that can acknowledge the intersections of Indigeneity, and I am excited to see where it goes!

— Chief Lady Bird ? (@chiefladybird) June 1, 2018

Chi miigwech to everyone for your continued support! But more importantly thank you for your honesty. For holding people accountable. For advocating for culturally accurate representation. This work is important and can’t be done alone. #NativeTwitter is awesome

— Chief Lady Bird ? (@chiefladybird) June 1, 2018

Written by Eduardo Avila

Quechua-speaking fans of Peru’s national football team recently were able to enjoy an important World Cup qualifying match with Quechua-language commentary thanks to efforts by two radio stations sharing their broadcasts on YouTube.

Quechua might share the word for “goal” with Spanish, but the two are distinct languages. Quechua is the most widely spoken indigenous language in South America, including spoken by more than 3 million Peruvians.

Taking one step closer to qualifying for the World Cup Russia 2018 with a 2-1 away victory against Ecuador on September 5, 2017, Peru has only two matches left in the qualifying cycle. Peru currently sits in 4th place that comes with an automatic berth ahead of other traditional regional powers like Argentina.

These efforts were the work of the Indigenous Audiovisual Association – Inkari and Interactiva Medios, fans could relive the match through a YouTube video summary with play-by-play in the Quechua language.

Another radio station, Radio Peruana Unión, broadcasted the entire match bilingually in Quechua and Spanish over its airwaves and online, uploading a behind-the-scenes clip showing the emotion displayed by the announcer calling both goals. There is also a video with a Quechua announcer of an earlier full match between Peru and neighboring Bolivia where Quechua is also spoken.

Written by Eduardo Avila

Screenshot of the video “Süchikua Woumain – Ruta de la Memoria Oral e intangible del Pueblo Wayuu” by Ramiro Epiayu Morales. Video uploaded to En Mi Idioma and available under a Creative Commons license

For indigenous communities across Colombia, sharing knowledge in their own language can mean ensuring that the next generation has access to important elements of their culture. To facilitate this important education, six indigenous communities have been contributing language lessons, multimedia, and first-hand testimonials to an online platform called En Mi Idioma (In My Language).

The project is a joint initiative between the Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and the Colombian non-governmental organization Colnodo. Training is provided to those communities that express an interest in participating, and groups are given the option of making the content available exclusively to community members who are given a special username and password. Some communities, however, choose to make all of their materials freely available to the general public interested in learning more about the language and culture.

Namtrik, Nasa Yuwe, Emberá Chamí, Wayuunaiki, Barí, and Kichwa are the native languages available on the platform, as well as the Palenquero language, a creole language based on Spanish.

For example, in the introduction on the Emberá Chamí sub-site, there is an explanation that contributing to the site also encourages the development of the writing system:

…en nuestro pueblo hay discusiones sobre cómo escribir nuestro idioma, pues durante años fuimos y seguimos siendo culturas de lo oral, pero hoy como estrategia de pervivencia consideramos importante construir un código escrito. Es por esto que encontrarás diferencias en algunos textos escritos en Êbêrâ Β'e'dea, eso no te debe angustiar, por el contrario ¡anímate a enriquecer nuestro idioma con tus aportes!

…in our community, there are discussions about how to write our language, for many years we have been and continue to be an oral-based culture, but as a survival strategy we consider that it is important to build a written code. It is for that reason that you may might find some differences in the written texts in Êbêrâ Β'e'dea (Embera Chamí), but that shouldn’t distress you, on the contrary, we encourage you to enrich our language with your contributions!

Some of the language lessons created by the Emberá Chamí contributors focus on typical foods (“Chi chikorârâ”), animals (“Chi ânimârârâ”) and plants (“Chi ‘Bakururâ”), life cycles (“ariwayu”), and everyday words (“Dachi aribia bedeabari”).

To assist with writing in the language, the Emberá Chamí site also provides a virtual keyboard to reproduce letters that may not be available on some keyboards.

Screenshot of the virtual keyboard for Emberá Chamí.

Recognizing that many who wish to access this content may not have a reliable internet connection, En Mi Idioma is also available in an offline format. This helps to ensure that the efforts by the indigenous communities creating multimedia and language lessons can reach the intended audience.

Written by Eduardo Avila