Indigenous Community Unrepresented at Yakutsk Conference on Native Tongues

The Summer Solstice Celebration: A Tale of Indigenous Preservation Amidst Academia

Indigenous Community Unrepresented at Yakutsk Conference on Native Tongues

Hey there! So, let's talk about Richard A. Grounds and his thrilling journey in Siberia, shall we?

The summer solstice was quite the happening, with the return of the Shamanic celebration in full force, much to Richard's delight as a Zoyaha Tribal member. The flamboyant white crane dances were reminiscent of his own tribal ceremonies, yet the massive crowds of onlookers and the commercialized atmosphere made it an awkward yet beautiful spectacle.

The UN International Year of Indigenous Languages (IYIL) conference in Yakutsk, Siberia, was a mix of success and frustration. Hosted in the icy, Permafrost-ridden city, it showcased the region's unique Indigenous culture and special horses able to withstand sub-zero temperatures. The conference was a gastronomic delight, featuring traditional foods, including sour horse milk and horse meat.

However, the disappointment lay in the lack of an authentic Indigenous voice at the conference. Despite being a gathering of linguists, anthropologists, and Indigenous scholars, the critical voices of community members were hard to come by. The discourse was overwhelmed with minute details of philology and place names, leaving Richard perplexed and troubled.

During a hotel night, he expressed his concern to a group of scholars. The debate that ensued was intense, with opposing views on whether Indigenous community members wanted their voices heard or if the academic community should represent them. A retired Russian linguist, well-intentioned and dedicated to Indigenous languages, questioned Richard's motives, leading to a heated argument.

Richard argued that Indigenous languages were gifts from the Creator and must be respected as powerful markers of Indigenous identity. He expressed concern about the academic pursuit of these languages being a form of intellectual colonialism, potentially resulting in various Indigenous communities losing their hold on their languages and culture.

A young Indigenous scholar, despite being a native speaker of her language, was producing a dictionary of her language, much to Richard's dismay. She was failing to use her mother tongue with her own children, which Richard saw as a misguided adoption of the colonialist approach.

As we move into the UN Decade of Indigenous Languages, the focus should be on fostering new speakers, not just documenting endangered languages. Indigenous leadership is crucial for the revitalization and protection of Indigenous languages, rather than academia speaking in their name.

This debacle in Siberia mirrors the broader global struggle Indigenous communities face in keeping their original languages alive amidst centuries of colonial paradigms. As Miryam Yataco, a language activist from Lima, Peru, emphasized at a recent conference, the protection and revitalization of Indigenous languages must be in the hands of Indigenous communities, not states.

So, there you go! A tale of culture, language, and the struggle for authentic representation in academia. Cheers!

--Richard A. Grounds, Ph.D. (Yuchi and Seminole) is chair of the Global Indigenous Languages Caucus, has served as the expert for the North American region at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues meeting on Indigenous Languages

Main Image: A breathtaking sunrise at the Summer Solstice celebration in Yakutsk, Siberia, Russia.

All photos by Richard A. Grounds.

1. The migration of Indigenous scholars to the UN International Year of Indigenous Languages (IYIL) conference in Yakutsk, Siberia, was marked by a journey towards education-and-self-development and personal-growth.
2. Amidst the glaring headlines of war-and-conflicts, the summit served as a reminder of the importance of policy-and-legislation in safeguarding Indigenous languages.
3. The debate on Indigenous representation at the conference led to a career-development opportunity for Richard A. Grounds, as he was elected to chair the Global Indigenous Languages Caucus.
4. In the realm of politics, Richard's stance on Indigenous language preservation sparked a contention with a retired Russian linguist, highlighting the complexities of crime-and-justice within academia.
5. Despite the car-accidents and fires that frequently disrupted the conference, the discussions on job-search strategies for Indigenous language experts were a crucial part of the event.
6. General-news outlets reported on the disarray and polarization at the IYIL conference, causing a ripple effect that influenced the public's general opinion regarding Indigenous language protection.
7. As Richard contended with the skepticism of the academic community, he remained resolute in his stand against the exploitation of Indigenous languages for skills-training and sports-betting purposes.
8. The UN Decade of Indigenous Languages confronts challenges analogous to those in basketball, where players from Indigenous communities often face prejudice despite their impressive talent on the court, such as in NCAA-basketball tournaments.
9. Furthermore, the weather during the conference presented its own set of difficulties, with intense winds and temperatures challenging the weather-forecasting capabilities of meteorologists.
10. The lack of lifelong-learning and perpetuation of traditional knowledge within the younger generations was a pressing concern for Richard, who identified learning as the foundation for revitalizing Indigenous cultures.
11. As we move forward in the UN Decade of Indigenous Languages, it is essential to cultivate a shared understanding of the importance of Indigenous languages in the broader context of culture, politics, and human development.

Read also: