Collaborate with the Earth 2025 Foundation's companions, dedicated to rejuvenating the arts and bolstering Indigenous dialects
In various corners of the Americas, Indigenous communities are working tirelessly to preserve and revitalize their rich cultural heritage. Here are a few projects that stand out:
The Civil Association Puriyninchik, based in Peru, is dedicated to literacy, literary production, and communal libraries in the Quechua language. Their project, "Rimaq Qillqa", aims to preserve oral tradition and popular wisdom in the community of Sarhua. Puriyninchik also documents and publishes this knowledge in handmade cardboard books, benefiting approximately 200 community members.
In Ecuador, the Napu Manka Warmi Association focuses on the production and promotion of artisanal ceramics with ancestral Amazonian designs. The Comité Cultural Ayoquezco, also based in Ecuador, aims to strengthen the Kichwa language, while the Comuna Quillloac and Instituto Superior Pedagógico Intercultural Bilingüe focus on culturally appropriate educational work, with an emphasis on strengthening the Kichwa language.
Tuteayen tse süngun, a Mapuche Williche organization in Chile, organizes intensive linguistic immersion retreats to recover and revitalize the Mapuzugun or Tse süngun language. The Comité de Revitalización de la Lengua Originaria Omagua, also in Peru, seeks to build a local space for assemblies, meetings, and other community activities related to linguistic strengthening. Both projects aim to directly benefit hundreds of community members, with the Omagua project benefiting between 10 and 12 members per class as part of a multi-year plan to protect the endangered language.
Lakasa Nepal, based in Nepal, offers training activities on the Prachalit Nepali and Ranjana scripts of the Newar people. The Cultural Society U'mista, based in Canada, offers Kwak̕wala classes to help preserve the Kwakwa̱ka̱'wakw language. The Colmix, Mixe Collective, based in Mexico, creates musical content to support linguistic revitalization processes.
While the Earth Guardians Fund (EGF) does not appear to have specific recent projects supporting the revitalization of ancestral arts and crafts techniques of Indigenous communities or for strengthening Indigenous languages, numerous other organizations are making a significant impact.
For instance, the Association's project in Ecuador involves an itinerant exhibition of ceramic pieces to showcase the impacts of the extractive industry. The project aims to use ceramics as a tool for denouncing the negative impacts of the extractive industry on the Quijos community, benefiting approximately 450 children. The project faces threats from fish farms in the coastal waters.
In addition, the Association's project also seeks to raise public awareness about the problems of the extractive industry and its consequences. The Association promotes ceramics as a sustainable and culturally relevant economic alternative to extractivism.
These projects exemplify the dedication and resilience of Indigenous communities in preserving their cultural heritage and languages, despite facing numerous challenges. Their efforts serve as a testament to the importance of cultural preservation and the power of community-led initiatives.
References: [1] Indigenous-related projects and funding initiatives [2] Environmental restoration and Indigenous community engagements in Canada [3] Indigenous artist awards [4] Issues related to mining and Indigenous communities in Venezuela [5] Other Indigenous-related projects
Education and self-development are focal points in many Indigenous projects, such as the Cultural Society U'mista offering Kwak̕wala classes in Canada to preserve the Kwakwa̱ka̱'wakw language. Additionally, the Colmix, Mixe Collective in Mexico creates musical content to support linguistic revitalization processes, demonstrating a commitment to education-and-self-development within Indigenous communities.
