Indigenous languages in peril: PHI Centre to host a panel on Nov. 23

Old Montreal cultural venue PHI Centre will be hosting a panel discussion about the realities facing Indigenous languages around the world, on Nov. 23. The panel, titled Awakening Tongues: The Future of Languages at Risk of Extinction, includes poet and curator Josephine Bacon, musician Jeremy Dutcher, writer/director/producer Gayatri Parameswaran and artist/curator Léuli Eshrāghi, along with moderator Mojeanne Behzadi, a curator and poet. According to PHI, “the speakers will reflect on the roles artists, writers, journalists and technology play in assuring the survival and revitalization of these languages and the cultures they each carry.”

The panel is affiliated with Kusunda, an interactive VR narrative experience about efforts to revive the dormant Kusunda language in Nepal. Co-created by shaman Lil Bahadur and his granddaughter Hima, the immersive experience was co-directed by one of the panelists, Parameswaran (along with Felix Gaedtke).

“It’s estimated that 1,500 of the world’s languages are at risk of becoming extinct by the end of the 21st century — this represents a fifth of recognized languages. To raise awareness and mobilize resources for the preservation of Indigenous languages, the United Nations has designated 2022–2032 the International Decade of Indigenous Languages.”

Awakening Tongues: The Future of Languages at Risk of Extinction 🗣

On November 23rd, join us for a panel discussion addressing the realities facing Indigenous languages worldwide today. https://t.co/ATXTRBmfZx pic.twitter.com/hHGHmwxrLi

— PHI (@direphi) November 9, 2022

Awakening Tongues: The Future of Languages at Risk of Extinction takes place at PHI Centre (315 St-Paul W.) on Wednesday, Nov. 23, doors 6 p.m., panel 6:30 p.m., $20/$15 students (includes a 20% discount on Horizons VR, including Kusunda)

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