Silencing of the Tongues: Arawak/Lokono (Final Edit)

The video pursues the last remaining speakers of the Lokono language, otherwise known as Arawak, in Guyana. I does so on the Essequibo Coast in the area of Mainstay/Tapakuma and Wakapoa on the Pomeroon River. Of the 20,000 ethnic Arawaks in Guyana, only a diminishing number of people over 60 years of age can speak the language. This is a dying language. The video seeks to alert us to this tragedy of the 'Silencing of the Tongues' through interviews with some of the last speakers of the language and hearing the language spoken. The interviews were conducted by Ian Robertson, Hubert Devonish & Daidrah Smith

Category:

Education

Tags:

• UNESCO
• Arawak
• Lokono
• Essequibo
• Mainstay
• Pomeroon
• Tapakuma
• Wakapoa
• language
• endangered
• indigenous
• language death
• Guyana
• Amerindian
• Jamaican Language Unit
• JLU
• hubert devonish
• daidrah smith
• ian robertson
• uncle kunu
• cecil fredericks
• rita thomas

[jamaicanlanguageunit]

This is also true, as far as I know, in Wakapoa, i.e. that most of the elders still speak Lokono. However, for a language to live, children have to be learning and speaking it. If not, it will die once the elders die. Lokono is an endangered language and unless young people learn it and USE IT on a day to day basis for playing, chatting, arguing, quarrelling, discussing work and family, and so on, the language will indeed die. hubert devonish

[sabajomusic]

deze stukje film maakt mij trots om het feit dat de arawakse cultuur nog steets bestaat in mij en al mijn broeders en zusters, de kennis en de taal zal altijd voord bestaan, mijn naam is sabajo van surinama. hale ke tja koba >>.......

[tvtubedog]

with no respect for the first nations peoples so again we will call on education and expanding? your community awareness to other countries who are

having similar issues as we have in Guyana our Amerindian peoples are facing the same issues with land claims, I will say this that strong

connections within your systems and governments with a elected person from your group will always bring a deeper and wider understanding than more disputes to follow from a deeply concern Arawak Amerindian ..

[tvtubedog]

to your government for we could no longer fight with bow and arrow and as my grand father believe that to fight the strongest link you must become the strongest link by joining forces with that link with in the education system

of your country or state for this is my fight too for all first nations people of? the Caribbean to come together and gather in force to let there concerns known With concerns to deforestation i do agree that this is so wrong to be allowed in ignorance [continue]

[tvtubedog]

From the grandson of the first nations Amerindian Arawak leader and government representative to all the Amerindian first nations people of Guyana [ Mr Stephen Campbell ] First of all to the first peoples Suriname i feel your pain and concerns for these are the same issues my grandfather fought for and i feel your pain and concern how ever you and your peoples must work with in certain guidelines and have one of your peoples elected as a connection [continue]

[kmj2000]

Another solution to the ANAKAONA is that Kaona can literally mean "it has worth" from an Arawakan standpoint. I would assume Ana means "flower"?

[foodovision]

Clips like this make me very sad...the last speaker of Wichita recently died, the last speaker of Andaman Bo recently died...and their languages died with them. I hope the Lokono elders will take an interest in passing the language down to their children, that they will speak to infants/small children exclusively in the language, so that the children can grow up fluent, keep the language alive, and take pride in it!

[elvispereyra]

@DamonGerardCorrie Very interesting thanks.

[DamonGerardCorrie]

Respond to this video...

ALSO - if you think along phonetic lines - how the word sounds instead of how it was spelled by non-Indigenous people (as someone not speaking the language would rarely write a word they do not understand correctly) you can see how 'Anakaona' might really have been A-Nakatoa which means 'the person who carries the burden of speech'...which as I understand 'Anacaona' was - since she became Chief after her husbands death, speaking for the tribe IS the burden of the chief

[DamonGerardCorrie]

@elvispereyra Hi Elvis, in our language 'Golden Flower' would be 'Korokuri Tokoro', 'yellow flower' would be 'Soboleh Tokoro', Servant/helper is 'Sana' - with servants/helpers being 'Sanano', Bird in general is 'Kojibio' -but then each species has a specific name also, Bahi is 'house' but 'Bahioho is town/village (houses - more than one). Taino has identical words like Kanoa (canoe), Hamaka (Hammock). Hurakan (Hurricane) to our language & is related, but Lokono has no letter C, Z, G, Q, or Z.

[elvispereyra]

@DamonGerardCorrie My name is Elvis I am from Dominican Republic I am Taino descendant (mixed), and I would to know if "ANAKA HONA" means for you "golden flouer" or NABORIA means for you "Servant" because in my country we have a story of Taino indian chief "ANACAHONA" that means golden flouer acording spanish invaders. You call GUAKAMAYO to a colorful bird?, or BOHIO" IS "HOUSE"? tell me if this language is alike to the arawak.