Language reclamation and ethnic revival in P’urhépecha territory

Abstract

In P’urhépecha territory, Central Michoacán, Mexico, Indigenous revival processes have characterized in recent years by a resurgence of language reclamation projects that revendicate ethnic identity in Indigenous communities. In a country that has historically highlighted language as a marker of indigeneity, how do ethnic revindication processes tied to language emerge in communities where the Indigenous language has been entirely displaced by Spanish? This article discusses the case of Huecorio, a community of P’urhépecha descent located in Lake Pátzcuaro, where community members have engaged in language revival practices in the past 5 years. Grounded in Indigenous-based participatory research, we center our discussion on the use of the P’urhepecha language in the interrelated spheres that make up the community to demonstrate how Indigenous communities that no longer speak their heritage language are contributing to the reconfiguration of their ethno-cultural identity through language reclamation practices.