Welcome to the second edition of the Mayan Languages Preservation and Digitization Project Newsletter! We have so many exciting updates this month. Thanks to each one of you for joining us on this journey to celebrate, preserve, promote, and uplift our linguistic and cultural heritage!
And We're Live: A New Home for Our Voices
It’s official! Our glossary website is now live. Thank you to our web developers for their diligent work. We thank them for using their unique skill set to support our mission of preserving and promoting language access across our communities. If you haven’t explored it yet, please feel free to visit our new glossary and be a part of this exceptional project.
Our glossary grows every day and we invite speakers, scholars, and linguists to aid our efforts by contributing their knowledge to the development of materials and resources on our website. When preserving and expanding digital access to language resources every voice counts.
Mother Language Week: Silver Jubilee Celebration
From February 17th to 21st, MLPP celebrated our mother languages! 25 years ago, the United Nations and UNESCO recognized the languages many of our team members learned in the home. “Many community members recall hiding their languages due to fear and discrimination. Yet, Mother Language Week celebrates, embraces, the languages we learned as children,” comments Dulce María Horn, project coordinator.
For Mother Language Day, we posted a video featuring our community members take on: In your language, what are five words that represent Mother Language Day? Just as we knew, our community members responded with thoughtful and meaningful words, such as “our first language” and “cultural heritage.” We are excited for the next 25 years of Mother Language Week and Day.
Landmark Presentation at UNESCO: Kaqchikel on the Global Stage
At the end of the month, our team attended the “Language Technology for All” (LT4All) Conference at UNESCO in Paris. Community leader and MLPP board member, Baldomero Cuma, delivered a historic presentation — entirely in Kaqchikel. The presentation was not only historic for the substance of the presentation significant but also for representation of Indigenous peoples and languages.
We thank UNESCO for the momentous opportunity to participate in the LT4All conference. Additionally, we extend gratitude to our team, particularly Baldomero Cuma, for representing our languages, our voices, our future.
New Keyboard Releases: Typing Our Way into the Future
We are pleased to announce the release of two new keyboards!
On January 29, 2025, MLPP released its first keyboard developed for computer use. Our Universal Mayan Keyboard is now available for Microsoft Windows. By publishing through the Microsoft Store, Windows users can easily install and use the Universal Mayan Keyboard across Microsoft Office and other desktop applications. To download the keyboard, please click this link.
On February 18, 2025, we released our Kaqchikel specific keyboard for Android users. Alongside our Universal Mayan, Q’eqchi’, and K’iche’ keyboards, our newest one will allow Kaqchikel speakers to gain representation in the digital world. To download the keyboard, please click this link.
Social Media Updates
At the beginning of the month, we started our mini post series on Community Voices and we have seen enthusiastic and positive responses from not only the community. Community members are excited to share their experiences and facts about their culture with the world and bring awareness of their language and traditions to others.
Our second series, Story Time, is still in the works and will be launched soon.
If any community members would like to contribute to our social medias, please reach out.
Get Involved: Embark on a Journey with Us
We want to hear from you! The Mayan Languages Preservation and Digitization Project is an ongoing collaboration. We appreciate and value your input. Here’s a few ways you can get involved:
- Share your knowledge: If you are a speaker or expert in a Mayan language, we invite you to contribute to our platforms. Your knowledge is invaluable. Please reach out to us. We would love to have a conversation with you.
- Follow us: Stay connected with us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn for updates.
- Shout it out: Help raise awareness of our project by sharing our posts and telling your family and friends about the importance of preserving language today and into the future.
Starting in February, we are hosting Zoom chats for our amazing volunteers and community members every 15th of the month. For the link, please contact Lic. Dulce María Horn via email.
Positive Reflections: The Future of Mayan Languages Inclusion
Every step we take in this project affirms our belief that languages are vital. We are uplifted by the rate of growth and global recognition that our initiative and those like ours are having in the digital era. We remain committed to ensuring equitable linguistic representation in educational and digital spaces.
Hand in hand we will create a future where our languages thrive!
The Mayan Languages Preservation Project Team