Did you know that the United Nations has declared 2019 as the International Year of Indigenous Languages? This happened in a resolution that was adopted on December 19, 2018. It is estimated that of the 6,000 to 7,000 languages spoken in the world today, one language goes extinct every two weeks. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) there are 2,680 languages in immediate danger.
Here in Southeast Alaska we need to keep working to raise awareness of our native languages, Tlingit, Eyak, and Haida. These languages are important, not only for communication, but as a vessel of culture, traditions, and identity. Culture flows through the language!
Take a look at this website, tlingitlanguage.com, and consider taking a class here at UAS.
http://tlingitlanguage.com/the-tlingit-language/
I also want to invite you to watch the following video:
Gunalchéesh and happy International Year of Indigenous Languages!
