For Indigenous Peoples, the ability to speak, learn and transmit their mother tongue is inseparable from the exercise of their rights, including access to education, participation in public life and intergenerational knowledge transmission. International Mother Language Day 2026 places a particular focus on youth, highlighting their vital role as language learners, innovators and future knowledge holders. It calls for strengthened investment in youth-led revitalization initiatives, inclusive multilingual education and the digital presence of Indigenous languages.
Activist, professor and writer Kawoq Baldomero Cuma Chávez reminds us that speaking our mother tongue keeps cultures vibrant, strengthens communities and carries knowledge across generations. At the Language Technology for All Conference 2025, he delivered a powerful presentation on the digital preservation of Mayan languages—making history with the first presentation conducted entirely in Kaqchikel. One year later, he reflects on that landmark moment and its meaning for Indigenous language revitalization.
What Makes Us Human, a children’s book by author Victor D.O. Santos and illustrator Anna Forlati published in various languages, is a flagship initiative of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages. UNESCO continues to collaborate with publishers worldwide to release multiple editions of the book. Celebrating the richness of linguistic diversity, the book highlights how language lies at the heart of what makes us human. In partnership with the Guatemalan Publishing House Cholsamaj and the Mayan Languages Preservation Project, the book has recently been launched in six Mayan languages (Itza, Mopán, Ch’orti’, Uspanteko, Kaqchikel and Q’eqchi’), allowing children from these language communities to discover the story in their mother tongue and see their languages reflected in print. As the Decade progresses, additional editions will continue to be released, bringing the book to even more communities—building on the more than thirty-five language versions published so far.
In his message marking International Mother Language Day, Khaled El-Enany, Director-General of UNESCO, underscores the critical importance of safeguarding and promoting linguistic diversity worldwide. He places particular emphasis on upholding Indigenous Peoples’ right to speak, preserve and transmit their mother tongues to future generations, recognizing these languages as essential pillars of identity, culture and sustainable development.
READ MORE: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/empowering-indigenous-voices-international-mother-language-day-2026
