Language Endangerment Research: Fostering Self-Sustainability for Documentation and Archiving

1. International Conference "1992-2012: twenty years of research on language endangerment" July 6th and 7th- Université Lumière Lyon 2/LDDL Fostering self-sustainability for language documentation and archiving: From a DoBeS Project to national initiatives and regional networks in South America Alejandra Vidal & Lucía Golluscio Universidad de Buenos Aires Universidad Nacional de Formosa ConsejoNacional de InvestigacionesCientíficas y Técnicas

2. Summary of presentation • Background: DoBeS Chaco Languages 2002-2006. Multi-pronged interdisciplinary project • Paths developed after the DoBeS documentation project concluded (since 2006). • Impact of linguistic documentation - Chaco linguistics - training of human resources - policies regulating preservation and access to scientific information in Argentina

3. The research programme within the DoBeS Project (2002-2006) http://www.mpi.nl/DOBES/projects/chaco “Endangered Languages, Endangered Peoples in Argentina” • Several different projects: documentation of four languages (different families) simultaneously • Field research and methodologies • Annotation of sessions, academic and educational publications, and production of digital audio and video materials. • Premise: strengthen their language but contribute to the development of their communities and their social integration.

5. Mocoví (Guaycuruan) • Tapiete (Tupi-Guaraní) • Vilela (the last of the Lule-Vilela languages) • Wichí (Mataguayan) Urgency: (a) the extent of language endangerment (b) the amount and type of extant documentation (c) speakers’ commitment to the future of their language and the cultural role attributed to it.

6. Vilela • Very endangered situation • Extreme paucity of Vilela speakers and the lack of a speech community have proven to be critical threats

7. Tapiete • Abrupt interruption in the transmission of the language • General shift to Spanish

8. Mocoví • Highly vital in the province of Chaco • Rupture in transmission to Mocoví children in the province of Santa Fe

9. Wichí • Focus on a linguistic variety not been previously documented • Several thousand speakers in three provincies and two countries • Not well-documented

10. The speakers’ commitment to the future of their language and the cultural role of the original language • Important diacritic for ethnic identity (Tapiete, Mocoví and Wichí) • Social decision towards language and culture shift (Vilela)

11. Aims • Further linguistic knowledge and value of an unrepresented linguistic area. • Foster exchanges between public universities, scientific and technological bodies, indigenous organizations, speakers and their communities. • Raise awareness among the communities and in the media, contribute to the visibility of these groups. • Raise resources

12. Chaco Linguistics from DoBeS on (2006-2012) 1. Language documentation and linguistic studies • Inclusion of two Chaco languages, Nivaclé (Mataguayan) and Ayoreo (Zamucoan) • Providing means to perform a comparative studies on the genetic relationships and linguistic contact Ayoreo

13. Further linguistic studies • Loanwords (Tadmor and Haspelmath, (eds.) 2009) Wichí: wold.livingsources.org/vocabulary/40 (Vidal and Nercesian 2009) • A digital Typological Linguistic database focused on data form Chaco languages and languages spoken in neighbouring areas.

14. Further linguistic studies • Syntax of clause and interclausal relations (Amerindia 33/34), Golluscio & Vidal (eds.), 2009/2010

15. Dissertations • Wichí grammar: interaction between phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics in the lexicon (Nercesian 2011) • Retraction and recovery of a strongly endangered language, Tapiete (Ciccone, forthcoming). New research topics • Areal typology of the Chaco languages. Simple clause syntax and clause combining, with a special emphasis on Ayoreo (Zamucoan family) • The coding of trajectory and location in Chaco languages. • Interaction between prosody and syntactic complexity in Wichí

16. Formation of a team research assistants (2002-2006), who become doctoral students (since 2006) • Training of indigenous younger speakers (workshops on alphabet development –Mocoví, Tapiete– and for the elaboration of educational materials, 2002-2006; in linguistic analysis/grammar -- Wichí since 2008) 2. Training of human resources at national and regional levels Educational Materials

17. Workshops Tapiete Nivacle Wichí

18. Course on wichí grammar for native speakers (Universidad de Formosa & Interwichí Organization)

19. Applied documentary linguistics: Pilagá language (Guaycuruan) Pedagogical Grammar with Texts (FEL, research grant 2003. Serie didácticade la lengua pilagá, in press)

20. Trilingual Talking Dictionary (ELDP. Awarded 2005, published in 2010)

21. Dissemination • Web pages (www.lenguawichi.com; www.lengua pilagá. com) • TV programs on indigenous peoples in Argentina (ENCUENTRO channel, public broadcasting) • Museo de la lengua. National Library (opened in 2011). Permanent exhibition on Chaco languages since 2012.

22. The Museo de la Lengua y el Libro at the National Library, Buenos Aires is an ongoing collaborative project conceived within the current state policy of social inclusion. For the first time, a local Museum hosts and exhibits information and audio and video samples of all the regional varieties of Spanish and the indigenous languages spoken in Argentina. This interactive enterprise was recently undertaken on the occasion of the Argentine Bicentennial in 2010.  

23. 3. Impact on scientific policies • Creation of the DILA/CAICYT-CONICET digital archive (http://www.caicyt.gov.ar/DILA) • South American networks • PLIICS • Interactive Platform for Social Sciences and Humanities (Plataforma Interactiva para las Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades - PLIICS) created under the CAICyT-CONICET

24. The PLIICS -- digital repository to be developed at two levels: the integration of disaggregated data and a multimedia material database. • Disaggregated Information Database: relations between series of statistical census and survey data to contribute to differing degrees of data visualization and integration, integrating thematic areas and timescales on a geographical basis. • Multimedia Material Database: access to published and unpublished documents and audiovisual material (recordings, films, photographs, documents) on specific projects developed by CONICET researchers.

25. During 2012, the House of Representatives has approved the bill of Law requiring the institutions included in the National Science and Technology System and any other institutions receiving funding from the National State, to create digital cost-free open access institutional repositories. This Law likewise establishes the mandatory requirement of publishing the primary research data five years after it was collected to make it available for use by other researchers.

26. Conclusions • An international programme becoming a national endeavor • Impact on the speakers and communities and on scientific policies. • Strengthening/revitalization of languages. • Consolidation of relationships between all the parties.

27. THANK YOU!