Kichwa Language & Culture Class

Anthropologists often say that “Language is culture.” The indigenous language of the Incan empire called “Kichwa” inside the nation of Ecuador is in grave danger of extinction within a few generations, even though the language today is spoken by a half-million Andean people.

Like every indigenous language, Kichwa holds the most important keys to understanding the rich ancient cultural heritage of its speakers, the lens through which they see the world.  Over the past thirty years, powerful social, economic and political influences in Ecuador have persuaded most indigenous families that it is better for the success of their children to use only the economically beneficial English and Spanish languages inside their family homes. As a result, today only 30% of the youngest generation of the Kichwa Otavalo people know how to communicate in the Kichwa language of their own grandparents.

As the language dies, their irreplaceable ancient indigenous culture and knowledge dies with it. Their culture’s unique “way of knowing” could be forever lost to the world. For this reason, Kichwa cultural activist organizations are leading the vital work of preserving and revitalizing their language inside their own communities and regions. The more people who speak and write in Kichwa in public and private spaces, the more possible it becomes to save this language from extinction. 

The Ossining Public Library and Urku Deborah May invite you to learn about the culture and language in a class taught from English to Kichwa, as Urku Deborah will join us on Zoom from Otavalo, Ecuador. With our vital Ecuadorian community in Ossining, this is our small contribution to the revitalization efforts of organizations preserving the indigenous language and heritage of Ecuador. 

We kindly request you register for this workshop.

This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrants Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by ArtsWestchester.