Indigenous Voices
Because of their affordability, cartoneras present a great way to foster language preservation and revitalization for Indigenous communities. The following cartoneras are from Mexico, and demonstrate the different ways that cartoneras can be used to transmit knowledge that is vital to a group’s identity.
The bilingual anthology Kosamalotlahtol: Arcoiris de la palabra is a regular publication put forth by the small publishing house Cartonera, out of Cuernavaca. They often work in conjunction with participants of the Feria del Libro en Lenguas Maternas (Indigenous Language Book Fair). The following essay “Lengua Náhuatl” stresses the need for additional publications in Indigenous languages so that they rival the output in European languages.
- A Nahuatl essay about the need for more publications in Nahuatl to revitalize the language. —— Un ensayo en náhuatl sobre la necesidad de publicar más en el idioma para revitalizarlo.
- A Spanish essay about the need for more publications in Nahuatl. —— Un ensayo en español sobre la necesidad de publicar más en el idioma náhuatl.
One of the many ways for people to stay connected to their culture is through food. Below, presented in both Spanish and Náhuatl, Romero Santacruz (2018) shares his recipe for mole verde, thereby striking the relationship between language, nutrition, and traditional local ingredients.
