Mexican government publishes catalogue of indigenous languages

The right to language is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but it is not always recognised or protected by national governments.

Several years ago WACC organized an international tribunal that looked at the suppression of linguistic rights in five different countries. The judges concluded that, in the light of knowledge about communication and language rights and their contribution to peaceful democratic societies, there is an urgent need for dialogue between state authorities and minority language groups.

The tribunal called on people everywhere, especially politicians and journalists, to be better informed about language policies, to monitor violations and to allocate resources for the implementation of linguistic rights.

It is all the more welcome, then, to see that the Government of Mexico (14 January 2008) has published the first Catalogue of National Indigenous Languages. The intention is to preserve and develop indigenous culture in Mexico. The catalogue contains more than 300 language variations spoken in the country.

According to Fernando Nava, director of the National Institute of Indigenous Languages, the catalogue ‘will be a valuable instrument that will facilitate compliance with the Indigenous General Law, above all in regard to educational material, health, justice and public administrative services.’

In Mexico some 30 linguistic variants are at risk of disappearing, including Náhuatl, the indigenous language most widely spoken in the country after Spanish. This is despite growing interest in the language and the recent appearance of several dictionaries both in print and online.

It is estimated that 6.7% of the Mexican population (some 7.2 million people) speak an indigenous language. For indigenous peoples, publication of the catalogue represents official recognition of indigenous culture. But according to Fidencio Briseño, of Mayan descent and a researcher at the National School of Anthropology and History, ‘there is still a long way to go to give indigenous people a better quality of life after many years of marginalisation.’

Octavio Paz, one of Mexico’s foremost poets, would surely agree. Writing in Corriente alterna in 1967, he said that human beings, even those ‘debased by the neocapitalism and pseudosocialism of our time’, are marvelous beings because they use language. ‘Through the Word we may regain the lost kingdom and recover powers we possessed in the far-distant past.’

Publishing this Catalogue of Indigenous Languages is a long overdue step in the right direction.

Philip Lee (WACC Deputy Director of Programmes). Source: BBC Mundo.com