Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/our-mother-tongues-come-first-dual-language-learning-from-the-indigenous-peoples-perspective/5027086/
The Indigenous Peoples Action Group, a working group of the World Forum Foundation, strives to create a global awareness of the values that support Indigenous early childhood education. Members of the working group have come together to share their thoughts on dual language learning as Indigenous people work to revitalize their mother tongues.
Dual language learning is important and, in Indigenous communities, it is increasingly critical that we prioritize supporting the learning of our mother tongues. Our languages are the keys to our identity, and they connect concepts from our ancestral heritage that cannot be transmitted by other means. This is an urgent call, as our languages are at risk. This is our charge: to reclaim and revitalize our home languages.
In Indigenous communities, oral tradition is prevalent and critical in preserving history, and maintaining customs, rituals, and traditions. As such, communication has always been an integral part of Indigenous people’s lives. Our human experiences long to be communicated forward to generations to come. What better way to communicate forward than in the language that can give context to the experience? As the languages of Indigenous people—once so strong—move toward extinction due to colonization, it has become increasingly difficult to carry forward ...