Barbara Glowczewski, anthropologist and member of the scientific council of Sorosoro, accompanied an Ameridian delegation coming from Guiana to present their concerns to the French Senate in Paris. This gives us the opportunity to propose to our fellow Soronautes a focus on this French department, where the Amerindians are seen as the “abandoned people of the Republic“, through a complete dossier about this event (also available in our section “the news of endangered languages”). We invite you to discover:

• A report of the session at the Senate by the journalist Yves Géry
• A music video in the Teko language about the “epidemic” of suicides among the young Amerindians of Guiana
• Language sheets of the languages and families spoken in Guiana

A powerful colloquium at the Senate

On November 30th, the Senate welcomed within its Parisian walls the representatives of various Amerindian peoples of Guiana who had made the journey to participate in a colloquium organized by senator Aline Archambaud. They described the multiple problems facing their community, in particular the suicides by young people and the poisoning of their food chain by clandestine gold panners. This strong and moving session is recounted by Yves Géry.

A music video about the suicides by young Ameridians

Mamen tsidzedzikakom –It’s time to stop suicide
Monkonin pyly wãtsipo nõde tsidju – There are fewer of us now
Tsidzebokatsinen aiponn – Let us give ourselves strength

Thus begins the music video from director Christophe Pierre, also known as Yanuwana, who confronts in his music the difficult subject of suicide among the young amerindians of Guiana.

The Amerindian languages of Guiana

And do not forget to visitvisit our site, where you will find language sheets of all the spoken languages in Guiana: the Amerindian languages of course (Arawak, Emerillon (or Teko), Kali’ na, Palikur, Wayana, Wayampi), but also the Hmong, the English-based Creoles Aluku, Adjuka, Saramaka and Paramaka, but also the Guyanese Creole!

You can also discover the language sheets of the families of the languages spoken in this region such as the Tupi languages, the Arawak languages, as well as the Caribes languages !