Gabriel Andres Guevara Paez
Melany Granados
Thanks to native communities, many countries have established their culture and art based on indigenous knowledges as a decolonial form of defining civilization, and languages are a great part of what defines culture. Many autochthonous languages exist in Colombia today, there are around 65 indigenous languages, which are at risk of disappearing because they are not given the recognition they deserve. In Colombia indigenous peoples are seen as a “minority”, when they actually are a majority. Colombia is a multicultural country where different people helped to construct Colombian identity and this is why it is important for us as students of Modern Languages and Culture to generate awareness of Colombia’s native languages. Also, we believe that each language has something valid to support in Colombian culture and to create a better sustainable environment for native communities and people from the city.
According to Morocho (2019) the preservation of native languages is important because they foment peace and sustainable development, contribute to unique knowledge and different ways to see the world and make part of the diversity of values, cultures and languages. Furthermore, native languages in the Colombian Caribbean make part of most people's identity and create spaces for intercultural exchange for people from different parts of Colombia and the world to learn more about them.
References
Morocho, A. S. (2019, August 8). Lenguas indígenas: la importancia de su preservación. Educo, from https://www.educo.org/Blog/Lenguas-indigenas-importancia-de-su-preservacion