Silence Across the Globe: Guarding the Vitality of Indigenous Tongues
In a world where the rich tapestry of indigenous cultures is under threat, several initiatives are working tirelessly to preserve and revitalize endangered indigenous languages. These efforts, driven by community-led projects, technological innovation, and cultural empowerment, aim to safeguard linguistic heritage and promote cultural continuity.
The Language Conservancy, a non-profit organisation led entirely by indigenous leadership, supports communities in North America with language revitalization. Through training, resources, and grant assistance, they document, educate, and create digital tools rooted in indigenous knowledge systems, honoring Elders and first-language speakers [1].
CAMB AI, in collaboration with indigenous communities like the Maleku people of Costa Rica, employs artificial intelligence (AI) to preserve languages such as Maleku Jaika. This involves advanced voice technology and text-to-audio models to document and revitalize languages at risk of disappearing, combining cutting-edge AI with cultural collaboration [2].
Indigenous nations like the Cherokee Nation have launched ambitious AI-assisted projects to digitize and preserve their languages. AI tools such as voice recognition and natural language processing are used to create interactive learning apps, digital language companions, and translation platforms [3].
The Endangered Languages Archive (ELAR) serves as a global digital repository, preserving multimedia collections of endangered languages, facilitating academic research and public access to linguistic heritage worldwide [4].
Cultural Survival's 2025 Keepers of the Earth Fund supports diverse indigenous-led language and cultural revitalization projects globally. Examples include the Bwabwata Living Museum in Namibia organising language workshops led by Elders; the Wangala Udjapan Committee in Bangladesh hosting storytelling sessions with recordings for digital dissemination; and Yi Hagamos Lumbre in Mexico providing informal training for young Zapotec speakers in literary and cultural arts to strengthen language use [5].
However, the lack of indigenous language fluency puts all native languages in a precarious position. By 2100, up to 90% of languages across the world are at risk of extinction. Debates over whether or not Aboriginal schools should be bilingual or solely taught in English are common. One indigenous language across the globe is estimated to die every two weeks [6].
The erasure of Native culture has been a standard since the early colonial period, with much pushback against Indigenous language being external pressure by governments or corporations to retain English as the sole language. The desire to learn native languages among the elders of indigenous communities is strong, but many struggle due to the lack of fluent speakers [7].
The Blackfoot tribe, native to lands throughout Montana and Alberta, has a combined population of 60,000, but only 5,000 speakers of the Blackfoot language remain. The Blackfoot Language Resources is a specific initiative focusing on creating a database of the Blackfoot language [8].
The ELA Alliance is a non-profit working to retain knowledge of languages in remote areas like Tibetan villages. The Australian Stolen Generations refers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth who were forcibly removed and placed into state care. Language loss and suppression is linked to mental health issues, including being 50% more likely to have suicidal ideation in youth [9].
Many find Native languages to be useless in the workplace and unnecessary to know. The first federally funded "Indian Boarding School" in the United States opened under General Richard Henry Pratt in 1879, infamous for the abuse and trauma it inflicted upon young indigenous children. Deprivation of language causes self-esteem and wellbeing issues, leading to a weakening of Indigenous communities. Thousands of other Indigenous communities worldwide are experiencing similar language degradation [10].
Younger generations are facing negative effects of social media and globalization, with almost everything being in mainstream languages like English. These schools were infamous for the abuse and trauma they inflicted upon young indigenous children. The lack of indigenous language fluency puts all native languages in a precarious position, and the erasure of Native culture has been a standard since the early colonial period [11].
Collectively, these initiatives aim to create sustainable pathways for language survival and cultural continuity worldwide. By embracing Indigenous leadership, community engagement, educational programs, digital archiving, and AI technologies, these efforts strive to preserve the world's linguistic and cultural diversity.
- The Language Conservancy, a non-profit organization, creates digital tools employing indigenous knowledge systems to honor Elders and first-language speakers, promoting health-and-wellness and mental-health by supporting language revitalization among indigenous communities.
- CAMB AI collaborates with indigenous communities like the Maleku people to use artificial intelligence for preserving ancient cultures like Maleku Jaika, raising awareness on mental-health issues related to the lack of indigenous language fluency.
- Indigenous nations, such as the Cherokee, employ AI tools to digitize and preserve indigenous languages, stimulating cultural growth and psychological development through interactive learning apps, digital language companions, and translation platforms.
- The Endangered Languages Archive (ELAR) stores multimedia collections of endangered languages, facilitating research and public access to documentation of linguistic heritage, furthering science and encouraging cultural continuity.
- Cultural Survival's 2025 Keepers of the Earth Fund backs diverse indigenous-led language and cultural revitalization projects internationally, aiding in mental-health improvement by organizing workshops, storytelling sessions, and training programs for the younger generation to strengthen language use and weave indigenous cultures back into society.
