ABSTRACT Restaurants are seeking new ways to present their menu and offerings. Indigenous languages are endangered due to globalization, settler colonialism, and social injustice. Māori are the Indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand and this paper are examined the restaurant sector’s potential for using te reo Māori in menu and restaurant marketing. Incorporating Indigenous languages into menus allows restaurants to celebrate Indigenous identity while innovating their offering. Despite the recognised economic and cultural importance of Indigenous tourism, little empirical research addresses this. Drawing on constraints theory and interviews with award-winning restaurants, this study examines how restaurant owners and chefs view the incorporation of te reo Māori in their offerings and the constraints they perceive in doing so.

This study examines the vowel sequences /ai ae ao au ei oi ou/ in te reo Māori, the indigenous language of Aotearoa NewZealand. Descriptions state that these closing sequences are comprised of separate phonemes, which are realised as surface diphthongs within morphemes, but as hiatuses when they straddle a morpheme boundary. We examine whether this description is borne out through acoustic analysis of data from the MAONZE corpus, which contains recordings from three generations of Māori speakers. Using the approach developed in Culhane etal. (In press. Variation in the production of te reo Māori opening vowel sequences. Laboratory Phonology), we find that for all sequences, there is systematic covariation between duration, intensity, and formant trajectories, which form a spectrum from hiatus-like to diphthong-like realisations. There is some evidence for the morpheme boundary effect described, but also for effects of stress and word position. We find that production of closing sequences has changed over time, with increasingly diphthong-like productions. Our analysis reveals that these patterns of change are likely systematic, whereby the change towards more diphthongised sequences reflects a change in the phonetics-phonology system more broadly.

The heat equation, long used to probe graph geometry, is used here to test whether typological information encoded in language-network spectra survives transformation into the acoustic domain. Building on the paper by Vera Zúñiga Javier, EPL, 150 (2025) 22001, we sonify Laplacian spectra of co-occurrence graphs for 44 indigenous American languages from 5 families and extract MFCC features from 10 sonification strategies varying mapping, resolution, and perceptual scale. The direct spectral baseline yields Silhouette +0.143, inter/intra ratio 2.43, and classification accuracy . In the acoustic domain, all strategies retain positive Silhouette scores. Heat-trace sonification gives the strongest acoustic clustering (Silhouette ), whereas the square-root mapping yields the highest classification accuracy ( ; macro-F1 ). These results show that family-discriminative information remains recoverable from sonified spectra, supporting sonification as an alternative representational modality rather than evidence of perceptual audibility.

In South African universities, English predominates as the medium of instruction, despite institutional language policies advocating for the inclusion of African Indigenous languages. The Council of Higher Education observed that the student protests in 2015 and 2016 highlighted deep-rooted issues that led to student dissatisfaction, mainly because course content was delivered in the dominant language. This study examines the ongoing exclusion of African language speakers in Open Distance e-Learning (ODeL) environments in South Africa. Using translanguaging concepts within a phenomenological qualitative research framework, the research aims to understand students’ lived experiences regarding language in an ODeL institution and to identify challenges faced by African language speakers, such as difficulties understanding course materials in English. Contribution: Through reflective and dialogical methods, combined with interpretation, the study reveals how the dominance of English in ODeL, along with technological factors, creates barriers to knowledge access, whereas the use of African languages without mediation encourages positive attitudes towards learning. It recommends that ODeL institutions make better use of African languages to support student self-learning, improving accessibility, understanding, and pass rates. Because of colonial history and global power dynamics, English is often viewed as the language of opportunity and success. There is an urgent need to reflect on how globalisation continues to disempower African groups within knowledge systems.

The power imbalances in South Africa’s linguistic landscape perpetuated a monolingual approach to education, marginalising Indigenous languages and creating challenges for educators and students. Translanguaging addresses the gap between multilingual repertoires and monolingual approaches to teaching and learning. However, little is known about the role of lecturers’ language histories, shaped by social, cultural, and institutional factors, in shaping attitudes towards translanguaging practices. Research on how lecturers’ personal and professional language experiences mediate engagement with translanguaging in linguistically and culturally diverse settings is limited. Drawing on the translanguaging paradigm, socio-cultural theory, and cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT), this qualitative case study investigates the impact of the language histories of seven lecturers on the translanguaging practices at a selected South African university. Semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis uncovered recurring influences, patterns, and contradictions in the lecturers’ narratives. The study reveals that lecturers’ language histories shape their attitudes towards translanguaging both positively and negatively.

Abstract This study examines the relationship between educational language policies and national identity construction in Portuguese-speaking countries during the postcolonial era. Through a comparative case study methodology employing critical discourse analysis and policy ethnography, the research analyzes how language planning strategies embedded within educational policies contribute to the construction and reconstruction of national identity across Lusophone nations. The study reveals three dominant characteristics shaping contemporary language planning approaches: the persistent hegemony of Portuguese as the primary medium of formal education, the marginalized status of indigenous and local languages despite constitutional recognition, and increasing tensions between linguistic pragmatism and cultural authenticity in postcolonial identity formation. The analysis demonstrates that Portuguese dominance in educational systems creates hierarchical identity structures where Portuguese proficiency becomes synonymous with full citizenship participation, while speakers of indigenous languages face systematic disadvantages that reproduce colonial-era inequalities. The findings suggest that educational language policies function as subtle instruments of cultural hegemony that shape not only linguistic competencies but also fundamental categories of national belonging. The research contributes to postcolonial linguistics scholarship by providing systematic analysis of how educational language policies operate as mechanisms of both cultural domination and resistance, offering evidence-based insights for developing more equitable and culturally responsive language planning frameworks.

Validating OHIP-5 for Equitable Oral Healthcare in Nigeria

This paper critically examines the enduring tension between national and international orientations in education systems within the Pacific, with a particular focus on Fiji. Situated within ongoing debates on globalization, decolonization, and the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), the study interrogates how historically embedded colonial legacies continue to shape contemporary education policy, curriculum design, and pedagogical practices. Drawing on decolonial theory, particularly the works of Linda Tuhiwai Smith and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, alongside the concept of epistemic injustice advanced by Miranda Fricker, the paper argues that Western-dominated education systems systematically marginalize Indigenous knowledge, languages, and cultural identities. Using a qualitative, policy-informed analytical approach, the study synthesizes regional literature, national policy frameworks, and global education discourses to explore how Fiji’s education system negotiates the competing imperatives of preserving national identity and achieving global competitiveness. The findings reveal that while international standards and global competencies, such as digital literacy, critical thinking, and innovation, are increasingly prioritized, they often reinforce Eurocentric epistemologies and contribute to the erosion of Indigenous knowledge systems and linguistic heritage. At the same time, national efforts to incorporate culturally responsive pedagogy and Indigenous perspectives remain fragmented and insufficiently institutionalized. The paper advances a conceptual framework for a hybrid, context-responsive education model that reconciles these tensions by integrating Indigenous epistemologies with globally relevant skills. It emphasizes the importance of curriculum reform, bilingual and multilingual education policies, teacher professional development, and inclusive governance structures that actively engage local communities. In doing so, the study positions decolonising education not merely as a cultural project, but as a critical pathway toward epistemic justice, social equity, and sustainable development in Fiji and the broader Pacific region. Ultimately, the paper contributes to global discussions on education reform by challenging binary distinctions between national and international education models. It argues for a transformative approach that recognizes the value of plural knowledge systems and reimagines education as a site for both cultural preservation and global engagement in the 21st century.

ABSTRACT This article offers a critical comparative analysis of language-in-education policies and practices in two postcolonial countries (Ghana and Pakistan) and one non-colonial context (Nepal), examining how these policies sustain or challenge social (in)justice. Drawing on a comparative education policy framework and Nancy Fraser’s multidimensional model of social justice – encompassing redistribution, recognition, and representation – we analyse multilingual and English language education policies across the three national contexts, attending to both historical legacies and contemporary political-economic forces. Despite formal commitments to mother-tongue-based multilingual education, our analysis reveals enduring tensions between symbolic policy goals and the material realities of implementation. Across contexts, structural and ideological barriers continue to reproduce inequalities of multilingualism. We argue that meaningful linguistic justice in education requires more than policy-level recognition of Indigenous and local languages; it necessitates deeper structural and ideological transformations that disrupt entrenched hierarchies privileging dominant languages, particularly English.

Background:The FoodRx randomized controlled trial (RCT) studied the impact of a healthy food incentive program among adults with type 2 diabetes and food insecurity (including an Indigenous subset), and engaged an advisory board (All My Relations [AMR]) to advise on aspects relevant to Indigenous Peoples. We sought to explore the evolution of the board’s role and its contribution and influence on the RCT.Methods:We conducted a qualitative process evaluation within community-based participatory research. We conducted semistructured interviews with AMR board members and FoodRx academic members, and sourced AMR board meeting notes. We analyzed these data iteratively using directed content analysis and continuous engagement with the AMR board.Results:Seven AMR board members, 3 FoodRx academic members, and 4 AMR board members and FoodRx academics participated in interviews. Our analysis showed 4 key interconnected themes: Culture and ceremony (celebrating the importance of Indigenous languages, naming ceremonies, and spiritual practices fostering inclusivity and connection); Transformative environment (emphasizing a sacred gathering space where voices are equal, trust thrives, and personal growth is cultivated); Indigenous Ways of Knowing (embracing the application of Indigenous wise practices, challenging Western research ideals, and advocating for RCT design equity); and Equitable partnership (affirming the centrality of relationship building, acknowledging Indigenous knowledge, redistributing decision-making power, and increasing transparency).Interpretation:Our findings emphasized the importance of authentic involvement of Indigenous community representatives in the conduct of research. Research involving Indigenous participants requires a commitment to respect for Indigenous values and incorporating Indigenous Ways of Knowing, as well as involving Indigenous partners early in the planning of the project.

ABSTRACT This study examines the transformation of an Indigenous community library in rural Bangladesh into an Indigenous Cultural Knowledge Hub through a co-design process. Although community libraries in Bangladesh have the potential to address information poverty and support inclusive development, they remain under-resourced and culturally marginal, particularly in Indigenous contexts. Working with a Santal Indigenous community, this research reconceptualises the library as a culturally grounded space for Indigenous knowledge preservation, intergenerational learning, communication, and community empowerment rather than solely a site of information provision. The study employed a qualitative co-design approach, drawing on four focus group discussions, five semi-structured interviews, and two validation workshops structured through the Double Diamond framework. Findings show that community members envisioned the library as a living cultural space supporting Indigenous language revitalisation, oral history preservation, access to health and agricultural information, youth engagement, and carefully mediated digital skills development. A phased, co-designed roadmap was developed, alongside a two-tier governance structure integrating the advisory roles of older adults with youth-led operations. The study contributes an empirically grounded model for repositioning community libraries as Indigenous Cultural Knowledge Hubs that support culturally embedded, community-led, and sustainable development.

INTRODUCTIONIndigenous adults face educational inequities, but it is unclear how education, literacy, and numeracy contribute to disparities in late‐life cognition.METHODSThis study included 1958 adults ages 55+ (mean 68.1 [8.9 SD] years) from the Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS) Ancillary Study on Cognitive Aging (Mex‐Cog; 2016). Linear regression models estimated associations between speaking an Indigenous language (vs. not) and cognitive factor scores, adjusting for sociodemographic covariates. Mediation analyses decomposed associations into direct and indirect effects via education, literacy, and numeracy.RESULTSEleven percent of participants spoke an Indigenous language, which was associated with lower memory (β [95% confidence interval [CI] = −0.31 [−0.40, −0.21]), language (−0.65 [−0.75, −0.55]), executive function (−0.60 [−0.73, −0.47]), and orientation (−0.31 [−0.44, −0.18]) scores. Education explained 31%–61% of the association, literacy 11%–26%, and numeracy 2%–9%.DISUSSIONHigh‐quality education may help reduce cognitive disparities in Mexico. Future research should address data limitations by collecting measures of Indigeneity beyond language use (e.g., self‐identification, colorism).

ABSTRACT Colonial violence is ongoing. It started with the first imperial invasions of Indigenous lands and continues harming communalist ways of life. Indigenous scholars think of the trauma of colonial violence as historical, connecting past, present, and future and wounding the spirits and souls of body-territories. Collective healings are ritual practices that strengthen or restore memories, identities, knowledge, and practices, reconnecting reciprocal relationships across beings and territories and alleviating colonial wounds. As such, collective healings processes support Indigenous resurgence in colonially wounded lands. As Indigenous knowledges, practices, identities, memories, languages, and rituals are strengthened, the body-territory rebalances what colonial violence disrupts.

We performed a cross-sectional analysis of 1060 mother-child dyads to study the association between maternal depressive symptomatology and child development among children aged 0 to 38 months from 24 communities of Oaxaca Mexico. Maternal depressive symptomatology was measured with the Center for Epidemiological Studies depression scale (CES-D). Child outcomes included WHO nutritional status indicators, a development evaluation test, and Bayley-III scales. We fitted logistic regressions for binary and linear regressions for continuous outcomes with multiple sociodemographic covariates. Children whose mothers had clinically significant depressive symptomatology (CES-D ≥ 16) had higher odds of stunting (covariate-adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.32 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04, 1.69) and lower socioemotional Bayley-III composite scores. Clinically significant maternal depressive symptomatology was associated with lower odds of normal neurodevelopment in male children (AOR = 0.60 95%CI: 0.41, 0.88) but not in females. Maternal clinically significant depressive symptomatology was associated with lower means of the Bayley-III language scores among children from Indigenous language speaking households. Public health interventions are needed to prevent maternal depression and suboptimal care practices among the most vulnerable.Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT04210362. Study registration date 2019,07,14.

This dossier of poems by Kaqchikel poet Negma Coy translated from Kaqchikel and Spanish into English seeks to introduce her words to an English-speaking audience. Titled after the poet’s customary salutation, “Saludo fraterno desde el pueblo maya kaqchikel en Guatemala”/ “Friendly greetings from Maya Kaqchikel lands in Guatemala,” readers can uncover for pleasure or scholarship Coy’s achievements in Indigenous poetics and language.

ABSTRACT In recent years, bilingual education in Latin America has expanded under the dual pressures of global English dominance and local commitments to linguistic equity. This study explores how teachers in an elite K-12 bilingual (Spanish-English) school in Ecuador conceptualize bilingual education, with particular attention to the ideologies that shape their instructional practices. The study draws on interviews with four teachers, two monolinguals and two bilinguals, and employs a comparative case study design to examine how language ideologies intersect with institutional structures and classroom routines. Findings reveal a strong English-centric ideology in which English is framed as the key to academic success and employability, often at the expense of Spanish and Indigenous languages that are integral to Ecuador’s multilingual context. Teachers’ own linguistic biographies influenced whether they enforced monolingual norms or embraced heteroglossic pedagogical strategies. The study emphasizes how bilingual education, when driven by unexamined ideologies, can reinforce rather than disrupt linguistic hierarchies. We call for greater reflexivity around language policy and pedagogy to support more equitable models of bilingual schooling.

This study examines the influence of artificial intelligence (AI)-driven media platforms on South Africa's indigenous languages—Setswana, Tshivenda, and Xitsonga—in the country's diverse linguistic environment. It examines how algorithmic biases, often rooted in colonial linguistic hierarchies, diminish the visibility and vitality of these languages in digital media. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study combines algorithmic audits of AI platforms (e.g., social media and natural language processing tools) to evaluate content visibility and translation accuracy, interviews with AI developers and media practitioners to assess linguistic diversity in design, and focus groups with rural communities to gather user experiences. Results indicate that limited training data and a focus on dominant languages, such as English, marginalize these indigenous languages, with audits revealing error rates of 30% to 42% in translation and voice recognition for these languages. Nonetheless, community-driven innovations demonstrate potential for creating inclusive AI solutions. The study proposes a decolonial framework for designing AI technologies that prioritize African linguistic rights and epistemologies, contributing to a nuanced understanding of AI's role in Africa's media landscape. This study is among the first to integrate algorithmic audits with community ethnography to reveal how AI systems shape Africa's linguistic diversity and to propose decolonial design principles for inclusive AI futures.

Poor teacher perceptions of diverse students is disconcerting. I explored science teaching with the Indigenous Peoples (IP) students across languages. I employed qualitative descriptive research design, purposive sampling, in-depth interview, and thematic analysis. I found that teachers value cultural knowledge, family involvement, and Indigenous language and culture in science instruction as ways to promote inclusivity, connect learning to students’ experiences, and support authentic understanding. Teachers may use students’ cultural knowledge, involve families, and incorporate native language and community culture to make science learning more meaningful and inclusive. Consequently, I see the need to explore the effects of culturally responsive strategies, teacher training and support, and the development and validation of instruments using exploratory factor analysis.

Best practices in demographic data collection for equity, diversity, and inclusion in rare disease research: A systematic review.

This study focuses on the role of language in shaping identity in postcolonial literature. It explores how English and indigenous languages work together to express cultural identity, personal experiences, and social realities in postcolonial societies. In many postcolonial contexts, English is often seen as a global or powerful language, while indigenous languages represent local culture, tradition, and history. The research examines how writers use both English and native languages to reflect their mixed identities and cultural backgrounds. It highlights that language is not just a tool for communication but also an important way of expressing identity, resistance, and belonging. By using indigenous languages alongside English, writers challenge colonial influence and reclaim their cultural voice. The study also shows that this blending of languages creates a unique literary style that reflects the complexity of postcolonial identity. Overall, the research emphasizes that language plays a key role in shaping how individuals and communities understand themselves in a postcolonial world.