UN launches International Decade of Indigenous Languages to help save indigenous languages from extinction. Estimates indicate that more than half of all languages will become extinct by the end of this century. UN General Assembly President Csaba Kőrösi urged countries to work with indigenous communities to safeguard their rights. Leonor Zalabata Torres, an Arhuaco woman and Colombia’s UN Ambassador, drew applause for her address partly in Ika, one of 65 indigenous languages spoken in her homeland. “Language is the expression of wisdom and cultural identity, and the instrument that gives meaning to our daily reality,” she said.
For Arctic indigenous communities, language is critical to political, economic, social, cultural and spiritual rights, said representative Aluki Kotierk. Arctic indigenous peoples “can stand taller in their own homelands with dignity, knowing that they can function in all aspects of their lives,” Ms Kotierk said. She urged countries “to deliver linguistic cultural justice to indigenous peoples”, which will only contribute to reconciliation and lasting peace. Mariam Wallet Med Aboubakrine, a doctor from Mali, advocates for indigenous peoples in Africa, particularly the Tuareg.
