Remaking Kichwa: Language and Indigenous Pluralism in Amazonian Ecuador

This book explores how the Kichwa of Tena, Ecuador, are striving to reverse language shift to Spanish and revitalize their Indigenous language. It examines how creative bilingual forms of discourse can reshape identities and futures and highlights how Kichwas assert autonomy through self-representation.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 214 pages
Publication date: 24 March 2022
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

This book delves into the captivating endeavors of the Kichwa people of Tena, Ecuador, to counteract the detrimental effects of language shift towards Spanish. Through extensive ethnographic fieldwork among urban, periurban, and rural indigenous Kichwa communities, Michael Wroblewski explores innovative strategies for revitalizing Indigenous languages and reshaping the identities and futures of local populations. By examining adaptations to culture contact, language revitalization, and political mobilization through discourse, Wroblewski offers a profound understanding of the complexities involved in preserving and revitalizing Indigenous languages.

Expanding the ethnographic lens beyond the traditional discourse practices of native Amazonians, this book focuses on the diverse engagements of the Kichwa with rural and urban lifestyles, local and global languages, and Indigenous and dominant intellectual traditions. Wroblewski unveils the intricate tapestry of indigenous words and worlds through conversational interviews, oral history narratives, political speechmaking, and urban performance media, demonstrating how discourse serves as a critical focal point for studying cultural adaptation.

Moreover, Remaking Kichwa takes the study of Indigenous languages into the globalized era, offering fresh perspectives on Indigeneity, discourse, and identity. By highlighting how the Kichwa assert autonomy through creative forms of self-representation, this book contributes to a more inclusive understanding of the diverse ways in which languages shape societies and cultures.

Weight: 338g
Dimension: 155 x 234 x 15 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350212817