What is an Endangered Culture?
You’ve probably heard the term “endangered” before, a way to categorize something on the verge of extinction. Commonly, in this age of climate change and biodiversity loss, we hear the term “endangered species”, referring to plants, animals, and other forms of life that are dangerously close to dying out. However, the term “endangered” extends far beyond that. There are an estimated 15,000 cultures remaining on Earth, many of which have been declining. Due in part to the increasing “westernization” of our societies, many traditions, history, and languages are being lost.
Bangladesh
Across the world, languages continue to be an essential part of everyday life and vital to the preservation of many cultures. The official language of Bangladesh, Bangla (Bengali), is spoken by over 165 million people. However, Bangladesh also consists of nearly 40 other indigenous ethnic groups, each of which has its own distinctive language and culture. A survey by the International Mother Language Institute in 2018 declared 14 of these ethnic languages in Bangladesh endangered.
In recent years, there has been a call by indigenous human rights defenders for preservation methods to save these endangered languages. Alongside them, natives have also called for action by the government to preserve these tongues. A program launched in 2017 sought to teach students the languages of 5 of these indigenous groups. While this seems like a positive first step, many are skeptical that this program isn’t enough to keep these languages, and cultures, intact.
