Kin t'anik in na'tsil t'aan yéetel ka'anal óolil. The roots of my Mayan language
Strengtheningthe Mayan language and worldview of the children of Dzitbalché
Originally published on Global Voices
#StoriesThatInspire. Meet 10 activists who use digital media to strengthen and promote Mayan languages in Mexico.
Photo of Carlos Alberto Chi Chan, used with his permission.
Read the inspiring story of one of the grantees selected for the 2024 Mayan Language Digital Activism Fellowship, organized by Rising Voices. In this personal essay, the author shares his story of activism and the project with which he seeks to promote his native language within his community and online.
My name is Carlos Alberto Chi Chan, I am 24 years old and I belong to the Maayat'aan (Yucatec Maya). I speak and write in my native language; in this way I explore my roots and what it means to understand my local worldview. For me my language is essential; since I was born I have listened to it and surrounded myself with it, and, although throughout my life I have found myself in situations where I have experienced discrimination, that has not prevented me from continuing to express myself in Mayan.
I am from the municipality of Dzitbalché, located in the state of Campeche, Mexico. My community is known for its poetry, “The songs of Dzitbalché.” Life in my community is calm with beautiful sunsets. This tranquility allows me to go downtown in the afternoons to talk and listen to the stories of the people I meet. I like the patron saint festival season held during the month of August, when we watch fireworks at night and listen to the traditional music of Yucatán, “jarana,” while the party called “vaquería” takes place.
Sunset in Dzitbalché Photo: Carlos Alberto Chi Chan. Used with permission.
I am currently studying for a degree in Mayan Language and Culture, which has helped me reconnect with my roots by understanding that my language is not only the word or the writing, but is part of the worldview that allows me to give meaning to my environment.
From greeting each other with “bix a beel” (“how is your path?”), to the response of “ma'loob” (“good, free of weeds”), they lead me to reflect on everything that goes unnoticed in everyday speech. Within each language there is a great variety of phrases and words that capture different ways of understanding the environment, giving way to what we call culture.
Strengthening the Mayan language in my community
My history in language activism began when, along with my classmates, I carried out a project to adapt and translate everyday games, like the lottery, into Mayan. The goal was to revitalize and spread the language of our community both orally and in writing. People of all ages participated and more than once I ended up hearing “I know how to speak Mayan, but I don’t know how to read or write in my language.”
The Mayan language is the second most spoken language group in Mexico according to statistics, but I would like the presence of the Mayan language to come out of the statistics so that it becomes a reality. I want to hear it on a daily basis but also see it in writing where we can express our stories, tales and histories. This was what motivated me and my classmates to continue with more activities to promote linguistic revitalization in my community.
Currently, as part of the Rising Voices Digital Activism Program for Mayan Languages, I am developing a project aimed at the children of my community, with the goal of promoting education of Mayan reading and writing along with the rediscovery of our roots. This will be achieved through a series of workshops for the creation of stickers that can be shared physically and digitally.
With this project, I seek to strengthen community ties and create safe spaces so that the children and adolescents of my community feel free to speak their language and spread their worldview through creative processes that involve writing, drawing, and research, based on the fact that language is a collective process where we learn from all people.
Playing lottery in Uicam Mayan in Dzitbalché, Campeche. Photo: Irene Cauich Col. Used with permission.
Digital media, an ally in linguistic revitalization
An important tool in the process of linguistic revitalization and dissemination is the use of digital media, as it allows us to share and make visible our language, as well as document our knowledge. The creation of stickers will also involve strengthening my knowledge of the use of digital tools and sharing them with children so that they can use them to support our language.
My actions seek to plant a seed in children so that they can develop a greater understanding of the local worldview from the Mayan language. I hope that this project serves as an inspiration for more young people to be agents of change in their communities and that there is evidence that it is possible to promote native languages in digital media, despite the stigma surrounding them. Change begins by creating support networks in the community and for the community.