by Raquel ReichardMay 4, 2016 While Donald Trump might associate Spanish-speaking with Mexico, the Latin American country actually boasts as many as 68 indigenous languages and 364 dialects. These idiomas, however, are under constant risk of extinction, as the legacy of colonialism in Mexico continues to elevate forced European languages, mostly Spanish and English, over the lenguas of its ancestors.
MORE: 10 Films About Indigenous People & Struggles You Need to Watch
A new effort by the Mexican government's Fund for The Culture and Arts (FONCA), however, is hoping to preserve these indigenous languages, along with its myths, legends and poems.
Sesenta y Ocho Voces, Sesenta y Ocho Corazones (or 68 tongues, 68 hearts) is a series of animated stories that are narrated in indigenous languages with Spanish subtitles, and shown around the country.
“The communities that we have approached have received [the project] with emotion, eager to see part of their history, tradition and culture in a video,” Gabriela Badillo, the creator and director of the project, told Global Voices. “They are not shown as a ‘static culture’ or a museum exhibit, but rather [shown as] something living that is evolving and growing with the times and the new generation.”
Badillo hopes to produce a short in each of the 68 indigenous idiomas. For now, watch seven of the fascinating videos ahead.
(h/t Remezcla)
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