Committee: Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural
Topic: Death of Indigenous Languages
Country: Venezuela
Since the beginning of the new millennium and the connection of technology to the rest of
the world, many languages have not only become endangered, but also extinct. About 5,000 to 6,000
languages are in danger of becoming extinct, and with it, the stories and cultures of the people who
spoke it. In Venezuela, the indigenous people have been fighting for the right to have a say in their
government, so that they can take important steps to preserve their language and culture. Thanks to
the belated Hugo Chavez, the indigenous have become considered part of the people and have been
integrated into the government.
Today, Venezuela has begun to preserve the language of its native people. To accomplish
this, the country has created a council, solely for the purpose of preserving and protecting the culture
and heritage of the indigenous tribes from around the country. This council 14 subcommittees from
different parts of Venezuela that gather with the Venezuelan courts and the newest president, Nicolás
Maduro, to discuss many topics every year on October 15, also known as Indigenous Resistance Day.
On this day, many of the indigenous people are given the chance to voice their complaints, which
included lack of food, shelter, and salvation of their languages. During this meeting, not only did
they establish a committee for the people, but created an institution for the children to learn their
native language, and received a promise of over 5,000 homes and/or shelter for the indigenous
people.
In Venezuela, though the world of technology has become a part of the everyday life, the
preservation and the attention and respect for the indigenous is still strong. The hope is to provide a
more diverse culture by providing the indigenous with shelter food and water through a socialistic
government and through this committee of Indigenous representatives hope that the new institution
will be a salvation for the language and preservation of much of Venezuela's history.
1. "Dying Cultures: Preserving the Language and Culture of the ..." 3 Mar. 2015
<http://www.ecotourism.org/news/dying-cultures-preserving-language-and-culturepem%C3%B3n-indians-venezuela>
2. "The Venezuelan Revolution & The Indigenous Struggle ..." 2014. 3 Mar. 2015
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-kovalik/the-venezuelan-revolution_b_5989882.html>
3. "The Venezuelan Revolution & The Indigenous Struggle ..." 2014. 3 Mar. 2015
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-kovalik/the-venezuelan-revolution_b_5989882.html>
4. "The Venezuelan Revolution & The Indigenous Struggle ..." 2014. 3 Mar. 2015
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-kovalik/the-venezuelan-revolution_b_5989882.html>
5. "Venezuela and Indigenous Rights | venezuelanalysis.com." 2007. 3 Mar. 2015
<http://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/373>