Seeking to revive a dying language, Arawak Amerindians from the Guianas are collaborating to produce a comprehensive book to make learning the language easier.
“It is not only a dictionary that we make. It is a book to learn the Arawak language,” said Williem Visser, the treasurer of the Association Kayeno, an indigenous cultural organisation in French Guiana.
Ten persons, eight from French Guiana and two from Suriname, are on a weeklong trip here to research for the book which is expected to be published next year. They have done research at the Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology and have also interacted with local Arawaks.
Visser said that they have found that most of the Arawaks from the three countries speak the language the same way but write it differently. He said that a student from Holland is working with them to produce the book, and the French Ministry of Culture is providing financial support.
The man said that after the compilation of the book about 20 or 30 will be printed and sent to the other villages for them to check them before the final publication.
According to Visser, in French Guiana, most of the children do not speak Arawak and in his village only about five or six adults speak the language. He said that his organization had a project to teach the language but this stopped and they hope to restart it next year. In addition, he said, next year a conference for Arawaks from across the Guianas is planned.
Visser said that they decided to produce the book because the language is dying and has few speakers.
He said that while children in French Guiana performed in cultural exhibitions, they did not know the meaning of what they portrayed.
He said that most of what has been produced before in terms of reading material is difficult to learn and this book will incorporate images and words and phrases used in everyday life.
Meantime, in terms of the assistance they have been receiving here, he said that they have had good support. The Ministry of Culture here has facilitated the visit. On the team’s agenda was a visit to St Cuthbert’s mission. He said though that while seeking the support of officials here, they had to wait for more than three months and approval was only granted in the final week before they had planned to visit.
With regard to their impressions of Guyana, Visser said that it was a contrast.
As an example, he cited the silence in some areas in the city while in other areas, there is noise around the clock and no one seems to mind. He also bemoaned the garbage situation in the capital and the animals on the streets. He said that this is not so in French Guiana.
