Round Table: Language rights for indigenous and tribal peoples

Round table presented by the School of Literature, Languages and Linguistics, ANU and the Australian National Centre for Latin American Studies (ANCLAS)

• Thursday 11 May, 6:30pm
• Haydon-Allen Lecture Theatre (The Tank),Haydon-Allen Building # 22, ANU

Speakers

• Prof Jane Simpson
• Prof Liliana Sánchez
• Prof Marcus Maia
• Norah Xueqing Zhong

Indigenous languages across the world continue to have a minoritised status despite efforts from indigenous communities, regional and in some cases even national governments to secure policies and practices to turn around this status. The international labour organisation through convention 169 (1989) protects the rights of tribal and indigenous peoples. In Latin America, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela have ratified this convention and are legally bound to respect the rights conferred by it to indigenous peoples. These include the rights to the full realization of their cultural rights of which language is a vital component.

In this round table, speakers will engage in a discussion about the current state of indigenous languages, language policies, maintenance and revitalization efforts in two Latin American countries, Brazil and Peru, as well as in Australia and China. The goal is to present different outlooks on language policies and practices affecting indigenous populations in these regions from an international perspective.

This lecture is free and open to the public. No RSVP required.