Yásnaya Elena Aguilar Gil
In 2019, we are inviting different hosts to to manage [1] the @ActLenguas [2] (Language Activism) Twitter account and to share their experiences with the revitalization and promotion of their native languages. This profile post is about Yásnaya Elena Aguilar Gil, and what she plans to discuss during her week as host.
Rising Voices (RV): Please tell us about yourself
Soy Yásnaya Elena Aguilar Gil de Ayutla Mixe en la Sierra Norte de Oaxaca, soy lingüista, mi lengua materna es el mixe, que pertenece a la familia lingüística mixe-zoque. Mi lengua es una de las más habladas del estado de Oaxaca y posee una gran variedad interna. Tiene 4 macrovariantes y variantes por comunidad. Una de las principales actividades que hago es difundir información sobre diversidad lingüística y el proceso de la muerte de las lenguas. También me interesa el estudia gramatical, las lenguas en la red y los procesos de lecto-escritura.
Yásnaya Elena Aguilar Gil (YEAG): My name is Yásnaya Elena Aguilar Gil from Ayutla Mixe in the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca, Mexico. I am a linguist, and my mother language is Mixe, which belongs to the Mixe-Zoque linguistic family. My language is one of the most spoken in the state of Oaxaca and has a great internal variety. It has 4 macro-variants and also varies across communities. I focus on disseminating information about linguistic diversity and on the process of language death. I am also interested in grammar studies, languages in online networks, and reading and writing processes.
RV: What is the current status of your language on the internet and offline?
La lengua en mi comunidad, como en muchas de las cabeceras municipales de le región mixe se encuentra en periodo de desplazamiento. En línea hay presencia y uso pero es necesario que haya más.
YEAG: The language in my community, as in many of the municipal capitals of the Mixe region, is currently in the process of displacement. It has an online presence and use, but it is necessary that there is even more presence.
RV: On which topics do you plan to focus during the week that you manage the @ActLenguas Twitter account?
En la diversidad de lenguas, en el proceso de pérdida de ellas y de iniciativas que plantean opciones para frenar este proceso.
YEAG: I'll focus on the diversity of languages, on the process of losing them, and on the initiatives that offer options to stop this process.
RV: What are the main motivations for your digital activism for your language?
Creo que la muerte de las lenguas está acompañado de una violación sistemática de derechos humanos y por un procesos histórico y político, revitalizarlas pasa por detener ese atentado a los derechos de personas concretas.
YEAG: I believe that the death of languages is accompanied by a systematic violation of human rights and by a historical and political process, and that revitalizing these languages means stopping this attack on the rights of specific people.
RV: What are your hopes for your language?
Que se fortalezca y viva y que adquiera más espacios de uso, la lengua como territorio de resistencia de los pueblos indígenas del mundo.
YEAG: I hope that my language becomes stronger and continues to be alive, and that it is used in more spaces; languages are territories of resistance for the indigenous peoples of the world.