In this TED talk, Kwak’wala language teacher Joye Walkus passionately shows the cultural and spiritual significance of saving indigenous languages and culture for future generations.
Like she mentioned in the talk, just a collection of words cannot represents a language. So teaching and learning indigenous language must be more difficult than we expect because the traditional language is losing their daily life contexts. Since residential schools caused the extermination of indigenous culture and language, now it is endangered and limitations exists to revitalize this language. After I watch this TED talk, I could realize why language should be preserved and flourish. She wants to hear more of her language and she wants us to hear more of her language. She strongly insists this language has to survive, for the past, today, and our future.
And I hope there must be feasible and practical ways to help this language to survive and flourish by technology with indigenous education.