Ancestral Languages in the Digital Age: My experience at UNESCO presenting a paper entirely in Kaqchikel

Baldomero Cuma gave an invited presentation to the International LT4All UNESCO conference in Paris. He gave his presentation entirely in the Kaqchikel language. In this commentary, Baldomero discusses his beliefs about language and why he presented at the conference in his Maya language. To Baldomero, Maya language preservation has profound connections to the integral being of the Maya, and language preservation should be much more than mere academic research and information collection. As he writes, "In our homes, from the womb of our mother and at birth, we hear our identity, starting with the 'ta, ta, ta, ta' or with the 'ma, ma, ma, ma.' These are aspects that for many are insignificant, bu tfo rus, they are the foundation of our millenary heritage."