The indigenous South American language Guarani is on the brink of extinction, but the New Speakers project run by the Universidad Nacional del Nordeste (UNNE) in Argentina aims to revitalise it. Giustina Gallardi, 18, from Corrientes, has joined the project to learn Guarani, with the hope of deepening her connection to her culture, her environment and herself.

“Indigenous languages and culture offer a new perspective, one that connects us with the earth and with each other,” Gallardi said. “Also, in Corrientes, it’s common to hear some Guarani words mixed into everyday conversation. This is why I am learning Guarani – to connect with my roots and reflect on those values.”

An endangered language

Guarani is a pre-Colombian language spoken by the indigenous tribe of the same name. The Guarani inhabit an area spanning the south of Paraguay, the north-east of Argentina, and the south-west of Brazil. The language is spoken by people across South America, and is the dominant language in Paraguay, over Spanish.

However, Guarani is not widely spoken in Argentina due to its negative associations within the country. Even though the Argentine Constitution, enacted in 1853, guarantees citizenship to anyone born on Argentine soil (jus soli), this has not always been fully applied to indigenous populations. Over the years, this has led to persecution, abduction, and forced labour without compensation, which further impeded the language’s popularity.

Professor Elba Rios, the only Guarani language teacher at UNNE, says that the social challenges faced by the Guarani community worsened the preservation of the language. She explains how the stigma associated with it triggers a generational interruption – it terminates the transmission of Guarani and the related ancestral knowledge of the culture within families.

Cultural wealth and new perspectives

Gallardi says: “Guarani is spoken in a large region of Latin America, both by native and Creole populations, it has a great deal of ancestral knowledge and cultural wealth and it continues to be the mother tongue of people who are still alive.”

Guarani culture is deeply connected to nature and involves a profound respect for the earth, where their ancestors lived. “They have the knowledge of how to use the earth without abusing it. This perspective is so different from what we are accustomed to today. The Guarani way of life is rich in culture and connection with nature, and I believe we need to return to these principles, especially in these times when climate change is a serious threat to our survival,” Gallardi said.

Professor Rios explained that everything recorded in the New Speakers project could be valuable to other communities speaking languages at a risk of extinction: “The prospects are promising, with emerging awareness from the provincial government and increasing interest from the university, which could signal greater societal involvement.”