Language Revitalization and Engagements in the Amazon: The Case of Apurinã

Abstract

Several Indigenous languages of Brazil have few speakers; in at least one case one speaker only (Xipaya), in most cases a few tens (Mekens), in other cases a few hundred (Apurinã), and in rare cases a few thousand (Tikuna). In most cases, the original language is being replaced by the dominant language, Portuguese. In this article, the issues concerning the current state of vitality of Amazonian Indigenous languages will be addressed, as well as resources and strategies available to work with the communities. The aim is to identify the main causes of language loss, and the paths required to maintain these languages in the long run. The Apurinã language, which belongs to the Arawak linguistic family, will be discussed as a point of departure for addressing the issues of revitalization and engagements. The Apurinã people themselves, numbering approximately seven thousand, live mainly along the tributaries of the Purus river in Southwestern Amazonia. It was noticed that better results were achieved through a collaborative work with the community, as the diversity of spoken language could be included in the teaching materials. Furthermore, the Indigenous authors could feel the authorship that also strengthened the adoption of the materials. Yet, more work is still needed to recreate functional domains for the language to be used, and these domains shall include contemporary everyday activities as well as storytelling, rituals and chants, but also the creation of new public spaces for language use. The power relations with the dominant society are also key elements in designing Indigenous languages materials according to the population's interests, and their particular linguistic characteristics.

Indigenous Research Methodologies in Sámi and Global Contexts

“…8 The funding was granted by the Tokyo Foundation. 9 See Facundes et al (2018) for a more detailed discussion on the co-production of teaching materials. 10 Such as the research paper on Indigenous groups in voluntary Isolation, initiated by my colleague Lucas Manchineri (see Manchineri et al 2018).…”

La antropología amazónica de cara a la cuarta revolución industrial

“…Algunos de estos trabajos analizan los desafíos que deben enfrentar aquellos pueblos que han perdido su lengua parcial o completamente y que, por diversas razones, se proponen recuperarla. El trabajo de Pilar Valenzuela (2010) sobre los shiwilu o jeberos del Perú; la tesis de Sarah Shulist (2013) sobre los diversos grupos indígenas que habitan la ciudad de São Gabriel de Cachoeira, y el trabajo de Sidney Facundes et al (2018) sobre los apurinã del estado de Amazonas, en Brasil, se inscriben dentro de esta línea de investigación, procurando identificar las causas que llevan a la pérdida de las lenguas indígenas y las posibles estrategias que se podrían poner en marcha para recuperarlas. En esta línea de investigación destacan los trabajos de Shulist (2015de Shulist ( , 2016, los cuales recalcan la naturaleza politizada de los procesos de revitalización lingüística, el rol clave que en estos procesos juega la noción de «autenticidad», el papel del Estado y de quienes apoyan a los pueblos indígenas en el moldeamiento de la «indigeneidad», y cómo estos procesos plantean cuestiones políticas más amplias, tales como qué significa ser indígena o no indígena.…”