Interview in Peru, during Pukllay season

I was invited to take part and dance in the Pukllay ceremony during the season of love and blossoming.

Up until 2 years ago I could not speak a word of Spanish. Now, I am at a place where I feel comfortable holding a conversation, and listen to a conversation involving multiple people. I was able to learn by living in a more constant state of humility, play, and curiosity, all the while being completely surrounded by people who could only speak Spanish.

Being fully immersed forces us to learn. I could not learn Spanish -- Quechua, Yucateco Maya, and other Indigenous languages -- if I wasn't fully immersed and forced to learn.

Learning an entirely new language at 30 years old gives me the affirmation that I can now learn my Tsilhqot'in language and become fluent within the next 3-5 years. However, this only happens when we are surrounded by the immersion of the language. I'd like to take this post to suggest that every Tsilhqot'in language speaker in our nation to ONLY speak Tsilhqot'in to our youth. We have to force them to learn, and in the process this is how we will keep our language alive.

———

The Quechua nation is the largest indigenous nation in all of Turtle Island. There are 8 MILLION language speakers, with a total population of 12+ MILLION. I share these videos to bring light to the potential we have when we come together as indigenous people, and how we can build relationships to help one another when we need it.

Our cousins to the south do not have anywhere near the access to funding for programs, regulations for the environment, and clean water to drink as we do here in the unceded territories of the pacific coast.

Therefore, it is the responsibility of the 1% of the most privileged indigenous people in the world to help, in any way, our cousins in countries such as Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, Peru, Guatemala, Brasil, and other nations throughout central and South America.

———

Sechenalyagh Qespi Tika for the translations