Module 4 Weblog #4 by Dilip Verma

Instituto Lingüistico de Verano en Mexico

Web Site address http://www.sil.org/mexico/ilv/eInfoILVMexico.htm

I thought twice about putting this site into the weblog, but the discourse in Indigenous languages is so lacking, that I can’t be picky nor let my prejudices get in the way.
The Summer Institute of Linguistics in Mexico is an organization that studies Indigenous Languages. It produces, dictionaries, grammars, didactic aids, translates traditional stories and last, but by no means least, translates the protestant Bible.
It works with Indigenous students, teaching them to write their Indigenous languages and helps them to produce Bible translations.
There is a branch in Oaxaca and I have met the director. They have excellent, highly qualified American linguists and their output is very impressive. Unfortunately, I am uncomfortable with the Indigenous evangelization aspect.
The site houses many, many excellent documents on the linguistics of Indigenous languages, but I am more interested in the hundreds of traditional stories written in Indigenous languages. It is a gold mine!

An example of a story in Zapotec: http://www.sil.org/mexico/zapoteca/yaganiza/L124c-GallinaBlanca_Leer-zad.pdf

An example of a story in Triqui: http://www.sil.org/mexico/mixteca/sotlaxiaco/L139c-ChivoHuerfano_Leer-meh.pdf