24/02/2026
"Despite these challenges, several communities are actively revitalizing their languages. The Wayuu people in La Guajira have promoted Wayuunaiki through local radio and bilingual schools (Ministerio de Cultura, s. f.). The Nasa in Cauca are recovering Nasa Yuwe through intercultural educational programs, and other groups, such as the Kichwa and Kamëntsá in Putumayo, use digital platforms to teach and document their language practices (Uribe-Jongbloed & Anderson, 2014). These actions demonstrate how Indigenous knowledge and technology can work together to strengthen linguistic resilience.
Irarrázabal and Vinet (2020) emphasize that linguistic revitalization must confront the ideology that privileges global languages and marginalizes Indigenous voices. Changing such perceptions requires recognizing these languages as part of a living and diverse cultural heritage rather than as remnants of the past. In this sense, the role of Colombia’s Ministry of Culture (s. f.) through its Vice Minister of Heritage, Memories and Cultural Governance is essential in supporting community-led initiatives, training, and cultural transmission."
Written By: María Angelica Alcalá, Alejandro Jiménez, Nadia Olivares There are more than 7,000 languages in the world, but many of them are disappearing. According to UNESCO (2023), nearly 40% of…