By Ranjani Prasad, Program Coordinator, People and Nature Collectives
This month, the People and Nature Collectives held a two day Barefoot Linguist workshop, which brought together Indigenous-Adivasi speakers from the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. The Barefoot Linguist workshops are crafted for speakers of Indigenous languages who are deeply committed to preserving and revitalising their linguistic heritage. This first module equipped Indigenous language speakers with the foundational skills to document and archive their languages through community-centred projects.
The lead resource person for the workshop, Dr. R. Karthick Narayanan, PhD in Linguistics, specializes in Sociolinguistics, Language Documentation, and Digital Archiving. He is passionately committed to safeguarding linguistic diversity and utilizing digital tools to protect and promote traditional practices and knowledge systems. He facilitated this workshop.
Along with the primary workshop sessions, there were expert talks as well. Dr. Ravi Viswanathan, PhD, who presented his book: Alu Kurumba Mozhi Ilkkanam (Grammar of Alu Kurumba Language) to participants. His book is one of the only known efforts to document the grammar and syntax of the Alu Kurumba community, which Dr. Viswanathan himself belongs to. Vasamalli, a Toda community leader and language and culture expert, supported the sessions of the 1st day. She is an authority on Toda Traditional Cultural Expressions, and engaged the workshop participants on the importance of revitalising Indigenous languages through community-led writing efforts.
Subsequent modules will build on the skills learned from this module, offering deeper insights into linguistic analysis, advanced documentation techniques, and effective strategies for revitalizing endangered languages. Each module will continue to emphasize practical, community-driven approaches to language preservation and revitalisation through 2 streams: folklorists and barefoot linguists.
