With many international conferences going virtual in 2021, it was a good year for researchers at Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages to participate in virtual gatherings around the world. Our teams presented their work at many fascinating scientific conferences and language activism events.
From the documentation of endangered Munda languages in India, to the creation of Living Dictionaries for under-documented languages around the world, we were very active in disseminating the results of our ongoing research projects.
Some of the conferences we presented at in 2021 included:
The International Conference on Language Documentation & Conservation (ICLDC 2021)
The 9th International Conference on Austroasiatic Linguistics (ICAAL9)
New Contexts for the Use of Minoritized Languages (NEWCON 2021)
Southeast Asian Linguistics Society (SEALS 2021)
The 13th International Austronesian and Papuan Languages and Linguistics conference (APLL 13)
Contribuling 2021
The 10th World Congress of African Linguistics (WOCAL10)
Stabilizing Indigenous Languages 27
RightsCon 2021 (human rights in the digital age)
International Indigenous Resistance Conference
The 1st International Conference on Tone and Intonation (TAI)
eLex: Electronic lexicography in the 21st century
Nilo-Saharan Linguistics Colloquium
The 53rd Foundation Day Lecture Series at the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL Mysore)
We are thrilled to post a segment from our latest video project documenting the culture and language of the Sora people of Odisha State, India.
The co-lead scientist on this project is Opino Gomango. He is a native Sora scholar and multimedia creator who has been working for over 10 years as a trained, professional linguist, in collaboration with Living Tongues Institute. He began working as a field linguist on his native Sora language in several local dialects and expanded this work to include closely related languages like Juray and Gorum and distantly related ones spoken in Odisha and in Jharkhand State like Remo, Didayi, Gadaba, Kharia, and Santali, as well as directed research teams on the unrelated Kui and Kuvi of Odisha (Dravidian languages). Gomango received initial training in Linguistics from Deccan College, Pune, and is currently completing his MBA. He is the director of this series of Sora films in collaboration with Dr. Gregory D. S. Anderson of Living Tongues Institute.
It is hoped that this film (and upcoming ones in this series) will serve not only to preserve a wide range of traditional knowledge domains and cultural practices of the Sora, but also to help promote these as valuable markers of identity for the Sora community both within India and abroad.
This project was funded by a National Geographic Citizen Science Grant entitled: “Citizen science and cinematography: Documenting stories and technology of the Sora tribe” (India, 2019-2021). Their support is gratefully acknowledged.
Credits:
Filmed by Opino Gomango for Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages. Narrated by Srinivas Gomango. Sora community members, in order of appearance: Sarothi Pradhan (priest), Srinivas Gomango (interviewee). Directed by Opino Gomango and Dr. Gregory D. S. Anderson. Produced by Opino Gomango, Dr. Gregory D. S. Anderson, Anna Luisa Daigneault, Dr. Luke Horo. Music by Srinivas Gomango. Sound Mix by Anna Luisa Daigneault. Hindi subtitles by Dr. Luke Horo. English subtitles by Dr. Gregory D. S. Anderson and Anna Luisa Daigneault. Edited by Anna Luisa Daigneault
_______________________________________________________ Behind the Scenes: The House of the Lurni Spirit
Screenshot of transcribing and subtitling “The House of the Lurni Spirit” in ELAN.
One of the many speakers we interviewed for the Sora documentation project was Sora cultural expert Srinivas Gomango (pictured above). In this screenshot from the film, he is discussing Lurni-sum, also known as Grandmother Spirit, a spiritual being that watches over Sora villages and is appeased by specific offerings.
While most of the Sora traditional cultural practices were still thriving a generation ago, all are severely threatened now due to state-mediated environmental, education and economic policies that impact the Sora people. The rapid advance of Christian and Hindu religious practices is also replacing the original Sora animist religion.
Living Tongues project coordinator and Sora scholar Opino Gomango has spent months recording interviews, documenting cultural practices among the Sora and curating the footage for the final series of films. This will be one of the first series of films made primarily made by a Sora person for an audience of Sora communities. Living Tongues team members Greg Anderson, Luke Horo and Anna Luisa Daigneault are also helping out with the production, editing and the subtitling of the films.
We have had the honor of collaborating with the celebrated Mapudungun poet María Ines Huenuñir Antihuala in Chile on several occasions. She laid the groundwork for the first-ever Mapudungun Talking Dictionary and we’ve taken part in events and Living Tongues workshops with her over the years.
Now, she is releasing a new album that includes many songs based on her poetry in Mapudungun. The album title is Kuifike Aukiñ Wiño Choyütelepay. It translates into Spanish as “Ecos ancestrales volviendo al origen” (which means “Ancestral Echoes Returning to the Source” in English). It is available locally in Chile and will be officially launched in Santiago on Saturday, December 14th, 2019.
María Ines Huenuñir Antihuala also just released an official music video for her song, “Mapuche Zomo” (Mapuche Woman), directed by Chilean artist Sergio Infante. It is a beautiful and engaging work and provides a glimpse into Mapuche womanhood and identity. The lyrics are based on Maria Huenuñir’s poem by the the same name. Living Tongues Program Director, Anna Luisa Daigneault, translated this poem into English, and we are providing the poetry in Mapudungun and English below.
Song, poetry and prayers by María Huenuñir Video directed by Sergio Infante Photography by Macarena Larrain
And there is more good news on this topic! The poem (and its translation) were included in a wonderful publication called “Poems from the Edge of Extinction” edited by Chris McCabe (Chambers Books) which just came out today in the Americas and is now available for order on Amazon.
The publication features award-winning poets from cultures as diverse as the Ainu people of Japan to the Zoque of Mexico, with languages that range from the indigenous Ahtna of Alaska to the Shetlandic dialect of Scots. This collection gathers together 50 of the finest poems in endangered, or vulnerable, languages from across the continents. We are pleased that Maria Ines Huenuñir Antihuala’s poem “Mapuche Zomo” is included in this landmark publication and hope that the book reaches audiences far and wide.
Mapuche Zomo (autora: Maria Ines Huenuñir Antihuala)
Weñanküley kiñe zomo kiñe mapuche ñuke Kizu ka lelikey antü ka lelikey trimiñ pun Fey ta tukuneniekefüy Kizu ñi chamal mew weñankülekey Welu küme tukukey Ñi trapelakucha ka ñi trarilongko amun rellmu reke felekey ñi chapetun ka kiñe trariwe tukuniekey küpa yomülkey ñi ange yewekelu welu küme küzawkey Cheu ñi amun müyawkey kizu ñi zungu engu. Mapuche ñuke amun manke reke feleami fey ta yewekelay ñi kurügen küme wutrapüralekey wente mawizantu mew, eimi niemi küme piwke küme molfüñ poyeniekeimi kom tami pu püñeñ amuaimi kizu tami lelfün mew. Tiyewpüle petu rayütukey kozküya rayen eimi tami ayen mu Mañumeyu ñuke.
Mapuche Woman Author: Maria Ines Huenuñir Antihuala Translated by Anna Luisa Daigneault
The sad sigh of a woman, she is a Mapuche woman. She can see both the light of day, the dark of night. The darkness blends with the dark color of her clothes. Although she is sad, she proudly wears her beautiful silver jewelry. Laces of all colors, in her braids, she wears a red belt as well. She wants no more insults! She works so hard. Troubled by her dark skin, No one understands her. But she wants to defend her culture, Carry on with her traditional customs. Mapuche woman, be like the condor! Despite his dark feathers, He feels happiness and great honor He shines proudly on the coat of arms. You have a sincere and tender heart That overflows with pure blood Woman of eternal tenderness Protect your children with great care! Beloved mother, don’t be hard on yourself! Live peacefully, with serenity There, near the natural world I will give you a kopiwe flower To thank you for your kindness.
Thanks for reading!
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