Foto proporcionada por Sásil Sánchez

In 2019, we invited several hosts to manage the @ActLenguas (Language Activism) Twitter account and to share their experiences with the revitalization and promotion of their native languages. This profile post is about Sasil Sánchez Chan (@Iussasil) and what she plans to discuss during her week as host.

Rising Voices (RV): Please tell us about yourself.

Me llamo Sasil Sánchez Chan, soy de Xaya, Tekax, Yucatán. Soy hablante nativa del maya peninsular, me dedico a escribir y a promover el uso del idioma, con enfoque en medios de comunicación.

My name is Sasil Sánchez Chan, I'm from Xaya, Tekax, Yucatán. I am a native speaker of peninsular Maya, I am involved with writing and promoting the use of language, with a focus on media.

RV: What is the current status of your language on the internet and offline?

Actualmente la lengua maya ha tenido presencia en redes sociales, mayormente en Facebook. Afortunadamente, en estos años, ha habido una ola de promoción y fortalecimiento por parte de los mismos hablantes, en ámbitos como la literatura y la música, en especial el rap.

Currently the Mayan language has had a presence on social networks, mostly on Facebook. Fortunately, in recent years, there has been a wave of promotion and strengthening by the speakers themselves, in areas such as literature and music, especially in rap music.

RV: On what topics do you plan to focus during the week that you’ll manage the @ActLenguas Twitter account?

Me gustaría enfocarme en datos fríos sobre el idioma, compartir perfiles de personas que también trabajan por la lengua maya, compartir contenidos y actividades que se realizarán o realizarán en la semana que me corresponde.

I would like to focus on the hard data about the language, share profiles of people who also work for the Mayan language, share content and activities that will be carried out during the week that corresponds to me.

RV: What are the main motivations for your digital activism for your language?

Mi principal motivación es que mi idioma alcance un nivel más alto en cuanto a la presencia en los medios digitales, tomándolo como una herramienta que permita comenzar un proceso de alfabetización para quienes no han podido acceder a ello y también como una forma de tener un registro sobre la situación del idioma actualmente.

My main motivation is that my language reaches a higher level in terms of presence in digital media, taking it as a tool to start a process of literacy for those who have not been able to access it and also as a way to have a record about the current language situation.

RV: What are your hopes and dreams for your language?

Sueño con que existan más medios en donde mi idioma pueda estar presente y que en un futuro pueda decir que existe desde plataformas hasta programas y contenido no solo en maya, sino en gran cantidad de lenguas originarias.

I dream of there being more media in which my language can be present and that in the future I can say that it exists in everything from platforms to programs and content not only in Maya, but in a large number of native languages.