As part of the government’s aim to revive Indigenous languages across the country, the Indigenous Arecuna alphabet book has been completed.
This disclosure was made by the Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs (MoIPA), Valerie Garrido-Lowe in an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI).
“We chose the best to put in the alphabet book. It is finished, the illustrations looked quite good and we will be printing 500 copies,” the minister stated.
The completion of the publication coincides with the United Nations’ Inter-national Year of Indigenous Languages which is being observed this year and the launching of the book on Stephen Campbell Day, September 10, which coincides with Indigenous Heritage Month.
The Arecuna alphabet has 22 letters and not 26 as is customary in the English alphabet. Both Indigenous elders and children were involved in the formulation of the alphabet. The children were responsible for the drawings representing each of the 22 letters.
It was also disclosed that the MoIPA, in collaboration with the Guyana Tourism Authority, will be publishing a handbook of common Indigenous phrases with English translations. Printing of this handbook will commence shortly and will be distributed to tourists and government agencies.
According to DPI, the International Year of Indigenous Languages aims to focus attention on the risks confronting Indigenous languages across the globe, especially those significant for development, reconciliation, good governance and peacebuilding.
The sum of $36 million was allocated in the 2019 National Budget to promote Guyana’s nine Indigenous Languages, through collaboration with the UN’s Indigenous Peoples Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
