Defined as a language originating in a specific place without having been brought there from anywhere else, the term “indigenous language” was unofficially coined by linguists and anthropologists when they began systematically studying and classifying them in the 19th and 20th centuries. While still not an official dictionary term even today, indigenous languages are now overwhelmingly recognized as an integral part of a nation’s historical and cultural value.
Amnesty International estimates that there are more than 4,000 indigenous languages spoken in over 90 countries around the world, with speakers making up around 6.2 percent of the global population. But research published by the United Nations (UN) Department of Public Information recently found that over half of the world’s languages are expected to go extinct by 2100, with the majority of those in danger being indigenous languages. Not only are most languages expected to go extinct within the next 75 years, but also the current rate at which indigenous languages are disappearing is estimated to be one language every two weeks.
Because of these alarming statistics, the UN General Assembly first labeled 2019 as the International Year of Indigenous Languages to help raise awareness and promote solutions on a global scale. Next, the assembly adopted a resolution — based on a recommendation by the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues — that the decade of 2022-2032 would be known as the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (IDIL).
The UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is the lead agency implementing IDIL. It has partnered with the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) to help implement what is known as the Global Task Force to ensure that all project goals and objectives of the Global Action Plan are met. The agency states that IDIL currently has 235 activities in over 25 countries, 3,200+ events in 60 countries, and a collective project community of over 4,000 organizations and individuals who are helping to bring the project to life.
This truly unique time dedicated to indigenous languages helps to draw needed attention to the loss of these languages and the dire need to preserve, revitalize, and promote them all around the world. The decade-long project seeks to protect and improve the lives of those who speak and sign indigenous languages, as they are at the forefront of what adds to the richness of global diversity. If we do not come together now to help slow the rate of extinction of indigenous languages by means of collective action, the consequences would be losing much of the world’s linguistic and cultural diversity and an important piece of humanity’s past, present, and future.
