Preservation of Indigenous Languages and Environmental Conservation
The Role of Information Science in the Interdependence Between Linguistic Diversity and Biodiversity
Keywords:
Indigenous Language, biodiversity, organization of indigenous knowledge, Teaching of indigenous languagesAbstract
Linguistic diversity and biological diversity are inseparable dimensions of biocultural diversity, with indigenous languages serving as complex systems for recording, transmitting, and updating traditional ecological knowledge. In this context, this article analyzes the role of Information Science in the preservation of indigenous languages, considering its deep interrelationship with biodiversity conservation. The research, is based on an interdisciplinary literature review, linking the fields of biocultural diversity, traditional ecological knowledge and ecolinguistics, in dialogue with contributions from Information Science. The results show that this field can play a strategic role in linguistic preservation, provided it moves toward models of knowledge organization, representation, and mediation that are sensitive to the cultural, linguistic, and territorial dimensions of indigenous knowledge. Such progress necessarily entails the training of professionals and researchers equipped with intercultural sensitivity and mastery of specialized approaches, as well as the revision of research methods guided by collaborative and participatory principles and developed in partnership with indigenous communities. It is concluded that the preservation of indigenous languages transcends the cultural sphere, emerging as a central dimension in environmental conservation strategies and Information Science has an important place in this Linguistic Revival.
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