Mexico's dying and endangered indigenous languages

The following article by Beatriz Esquivel has been translated from Spanish to English to reach a broader audience. Originally published by Revista Central, it delves into the critical issue of Indigenous languages in Mexico facing the threat of extinction. We strive to preserve the essence and accuracy of the original content. For the original Spanish version, please visit Revista Central.

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"If anything defines the peoples of the world, it is their memory, and memory only exists when language appears." This is what Alejandra Frausto writes in the anthology Paisaje Lingüístico de México, which compiles a series of very short stories in the 68 predominant indigenous languages of Mexico and their translations into Spanish.

History and memory are predominant when it comes to language and as Frausto writes, the language of a culture is of primary importance because it is through it that we share our knowledge and historical knowledge. But...

What happens when an indigenous language disappears?

When an indigenous language disappears it implies the loss of the memory of an entire culture, in other words of its cosmovision (all the beliefs, concepts and the way in which the world is seen and explained), and therefore the reduction of the cultural heritage that exists in Mexico.

According to UN data, every two weeks a language disappears, along with its cultural and intellectual heritage in the world. Out of 6 thousand languages, 43% of them are in danger of extinction, therefore, it is easy to think that Mexico is facing the same problem, particularly when many of its languages do not have effective methods of transmission and preservation.

Indigenous women march on Columbus Day in Mexico City, October 12, 2022. / Rodrigo Arangua/AFP

Data on endangered indigenous languages in Mexico

According to the National Institute of Indigenous Languages (INALI), in Paisaje Lingüístico de México:

“Mexico has the second largest number of living native languages in the Americas, with 68 national indigenous languages and 364 linguistic variants, according to the Catalog of National Indigenous Languages, published by INALI in 2009. However, a large part of this diversity is at risk of disappearing due to ignorance, lack of appreciation and discrimination against indigenous peoples.”

However, according to data from the National Institute of Indigenous Peoples (INPI), 23 of the 68 officially recognized languages in Mexico are at risk and could die out completely in a matter of years when their last speakers do as well.

Indigenous languages that are about to die in Mexico

These are the indigenous languages considered by the INPI to be at risk of disappearing and under the greatest threat:

cakchiquel

chichimeca jonaz

chocho

chuj

cochimí

cucapá

guarijí

ixcateco

ixil, jacalteco

kekchí

kicapú

kiliwa

kumiai

lacandó

matlatzinca

mocho

pa ipai

pápago

pima

quiché

seri

tlahuica

Of these, the most endangered indigenous languages are Ayapaneco (and Zoque-Ayapaneco), Ku'ahl, Kiliwa, Matlatzinca and Pa Ipai.

According to data from the Cultural Information System (SIC Mexico) this is the number of speakers for each of these languages, as well as other important data:

Ayapaneco

It is spoken predominantly in Tabasco, and by 2010 it was estimated that there were only 21 speakers, UNESCO reports indicate that by 2018 there were only 15 speakers left and no more updated information is available.

Ku'ahl

Spoken in Baja California, it is part of the Cochimí-Yuman family, and is one of the most critical cases in the country, since in 2010 no speakers were registered according to SIC Mexico, so officially this language can be considered extinct (a case, sadly repeated in the country despite there still being speakers who can help preserve it for the future).

However, in a journalistic investigation by Pie de página, they found 2 women who still spoke the language and were trying to preserve it with the Ku'ahl Museum. So far, it is not possible to confirm that both women are continuing their work.

Kiliwa

The Kiliwa are also found in Baja California, and like other indigenous groups in the area were also nomadic, which led to the group being separated when the borders between Mexico and the United States were formed.

SIC Mexico reports a population of only 11 inhabitants and therefore speakers, however, the last modification of its registry was in 2019.

Matlatzinca

According to UNESCO, there are still 1548 speakers, according to SIC Mexico data for 2020, there are 1302 speakers left. This indigenous group is located in the State of Mexico, and is also considered at high risk of disappearing.

Pa ipai

It is also part of the Cochimí-Yuman family, and is spoken in Baja California. Compared to other languages, it is reported that this language had 200 speakers by 2020, which although it seems to put it in a better position, it is still in serious danger of disappearing.

Zoque-Aayapaneco

This is a language of the Mixe-Zoquean family, spoken in Tabasco, the same state where Ayapaneco is predominant. However, Zoque-Ayapaneco is a language found in Ayapa, a municipality in the state, and like many others of its kind (as with other Mayan-derived languages, such as Awakateko with 17 speakers), it is running out of speakers.

By 2021 it was reported that there were only 2 people left who still spoke the language, and who have a workshop to try to save the language and preserve it once they pass away.

Causes of the disappearance and death of indigenous languages

Among the main factors for the disappearance of languages are the lack of public policies to preserve them, such as the teaching and practice of languages in schools.

On the other hand, discrimination and exclusion are important factors in the disappearance of languages, especially when indigenous populations face lack of access to education, resources or employment.

The predominance of Spanish in education also leads to the abandonment of mother tongues, and now even of other foreign languages such as English.

In addition, migration plays an important role. Given the living conditions in most of these indigenous peoples and the marginalized living conditions, migration to urbanized areas that represent greater employment opportunities leads to the abandonment of mother tongues and the adoption of languages such as Spanish that predominate in urban life.

You may be interested in: How many mother tongues are there in Mexico and what is being done to protect them?

https://www.revistacentral.com.mx/cultura/lenguas-indigenas-mexico-peligro-desaparicion