THE CONNECTION BETWEEN LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL IDENTITY
Abstract
Indigenous languages are increasingly at risk of extinction due to the global dominance of major languages, urbanization, and changes in societal structures. However, oral tradition remains essential in preserving these languages, serving as a key means of passing down cultural knowledge, values, and identities. Through practices such as storytelling, songs, rituals, and oral histories, indigenous communities preserve their linguistic heritage across generations. This article examines the role of oral tradition in safeguarding indigenous languages, the challenges it encounters, and how modern technology and education can support its revitalization. It underscores the importance of these traditions in preserving not just language, but the cultural wealth of indigenous communities.
References
1. Harrison, K. D. (2007). When Languages Die: The Extinction of the World's Languages and the Erosion of Human Knowledge. Oxford University Press.
2. Austin, P., & Sallabank, J. (2011). The Cambridge Handbook of Endangered Languages. Cambridge University Press.
3. McCarty, T. L., & Lee, T. (2014). Indigenous Language Revitalization in the Americas. Multilingual Matters.
4. Grimes, B. W. (2000). Ethnologue: Languages of the World. SIL International.
5. Miller, B. (2012). Oral Tradition and the Role of the Storyteller in Language Revitalization. In Language Revitalization and Revitalisation. John Benjamins Publishing Company.
6. Berkes, F. (1999). Sacred Ecology: Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Resource Management. Taylor & Francis.
