Strategies for Overcoming Linguistic Genocide: How to Avoid Macroaggressions and Microaggressions that Lead Toward Indigenous Language Annihilation

Abstract

Family settings that value indigenous languages, cultures, and identities are ideal for language preservation for future generations. Government policies and education reform efforts are also helpful in indigenous language preservation efforts. Some government initiatives make every effort to preserve indigenous languages. In other contexts, there are intentional local and national efforts to annihilate indigenous languages. Regardless of the circumstance—intentional or unintentional—many indigenous languages worldwide are threatened with extinction or a linguistic and cultural genocide. This chapter outlines the vicious cycle role that microaggressions and macroaggressions play in perpetuating indigenous language stigma that in many ways leads to diminishing, devaluing, and eliminating indigenous languages. This vicious cycle is unfortunately irreversible in many instances; in others, there is still hope. Four strategies are introduced to avoid linguistic genocide: (1) parental involvement, (2) indigenous peoples involvement, (3) governments should play a leading role, and (4) leverage advances in technology to best meet the needs of language learners. Parents and indigenous peoples are essential in sustained indigenous language acquisition and preservation. Governments also play an important role in establishing and implementing policies that help support language acquisition and eliminate scenarios for micro- and/or macroaggressions. Finally, with current and undoubtedly future advances in technology, languages can be made accessible to learners of all ages, whether in the formal education system or in nonformal, business, and other settings.