Yucatecans need to value the local use of the Mayan language

It is important to preserve the mother tongue, because when a language dies, so does an entire culture.

MÉRIDA, Yucatán (Feb. 22, 2021).- To comply with the instructions of Governor Mauricio Vila Dosal , to increase and spread the cultural legacy of Yucatán , the Institute for the Development of Mayan Culture (Indemaya) recognized the work of those who are dedicated to the conservation of this heritage , through the First Short Story Contest in the Mayan Language “Táan in k’aj óoltik in miatsil” .

In the municipality of Kinchil and within the framework of the International Mother Language Day, which is celebrated every February 21, the General Director of the INDEMAYA, Eric Villanueva Mukul, pointed out that a priority of this administration is to implement actions that promote this millennial wisdom, one of the main characteristics of the entity.

He recalled that, according to figures from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi), 23 percent of the inhabitants of Yucatan are Mayan speakers, which is why there is the highest percentage of people who speak a native or mother tongue.

“For this reason, we must be proud to speak Mayan, to be able to communicate in that language, to be able to strengthen, spread, and preserve it,” he told the mayor of Kinchil, Carlos Valentín Pech Dzib.

Villanueva Mukul assured that the Mayan language is very strong and can be made more dynamic by various circumstances, such as that it is a great cultural heritage not only for those who live in Yucatan and Mexico but also of humanity.

The Director of Indigenous Education, Noemy Chel Ucán, indicated that it is important to preserve the mother tongue, because when a language dies, so does an entire culture, legends, knowledge, stories, traditions, and customs, as well as the identity of the same; therefore, it is important to encourage it from early childhood to keep it alive.

This date, he argued, allows us to reflect and raise awareness about the valuable linguistic-cultural wealth of the state, so its preservation, in the face of the threat and risk of disappearance, should be the task of everyone.

Pech Dzib thanked the decision for his municipality to host the International Mother Language Day event because, with this, the impulse and promotion that that town does to preserve the Mayan culture and language are recognized.