Refusing “Endangered Languages” Narratives

Abstract Indigenous language endangerment is a global crisis, and in response, normative “endangered languages” narrative about the crisis has developed. Though seemingly beneficent accurate many of its points, this can also cause harm to communities by furthering colonial logics that repurpose languages as objects for wider society's consumption, while deemphasizing or even outright omitting extreme injustices beget endangerment. The objective essay promote social justice praxis first detailing how shift results from major injustices, then offering possible interventions are accountable whose endangered. Drawing my experiences member Native American community was wrongly labeled “extinct” within narrative, I begin with an overview described general audiences United States critique way it framed shared. From there, alternative draws ways knowing through reclamation.