Across the United States, a digital map illuminates the landscape with numerous stars, each symbolising the presence of an indigenous language that has traversed borders alongside its speakers. Some of these languages are linked to communities boasting thousands of individuals, while others are represented in records that identify only one or two speakers. By selecting various elements, users can also listen to the sounds of these languages and discover their places of origin.
Introducing Ecos de Vida
This is the essence of “Ecos de Vida” (Echoes of Life), an interactive digital mapping project developed by Comunidades Indígenas en Liderazgo (CIELO), an organisation founded by Zapotec women in Los Angeles. The initiative aims to showcase the linguistic diversity of migrating indigenous communities in the United States, whose presence often goes unrecorded in official data or is categorised broadly as Latino or Hispanic.
The map was unveiled on 14 October at the Centro de Cultura Digital in Mexico City, presented by Janet Martínez, a co-founder of CIELO, and Mariah Tso, a Diné cartographer responsible for its visual development. During the event, they elaborated on how they gathered the information, the rationale behind representing languages as stars, and their aspirations for this innovative tool.
Exploring Linguistic Diversity Through Stars
Ecos de Vida allows users to delve into information regarding migrating indigenous communities across all 50 states, including Alaska and Hawaii. By selecting a specific community, individuals can access data on the registered languages, while additional tools provide insights into their variants and the Mexican municipalities from which they originate.
The platform features 24 stars that play snippets of a poem in various indigenous languages, enabling visitors to listen and become familiar with some of their sounds. The creators believe this auditory experience is essential for recognising languages that many may not be aware of.
Mariah Tso highlighted that the choice to depict languages as stars carries deeper significance beyond aesthetics. She noted that cartography and data science often prioritise larger populations, while smaller groups may be deemed statistically insignificant. The stars serve to represent this diversity without diminishing the importance of each language based on the number of speakers. They also pay homage to those absent from databases and the generations that have passed down their knowledge.
Innovative Representation of Indigenous Languages
This perspective is further illustrated throughout the project. For instance, the map includes constellations that allow users to explore the variants of four indigenous languages. Tso showcased the Zapotec language, which encompasses over 60 variants according to the presented information. These tools also facilitate inquiries into the related Mexican municipalities for each variant.
Moreover, certain features enable users to alter the conventional orientation of maps, questioning the notion that there is only one way to represent territory. “Maps wield power,” Tso asserted, adding that such tools reflect decisions on what information to display, which knowledge to acknowledge, and from which perspective to view the world.
Tso reminded the audience that historically, maps have been employed to delineate borders and exert control over indigenous territories. With Ecos de Vida, she proposes a novel approach to representing these communities, taking into account their histories and wisdom.
The Development Journey of Ecos de Vida
The project builds upon previous experiences of CIELO, including an initial mapping effort conducted in Los Angeles to assess the situation of undocumented migrating indigenous communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. For this new tool, the organisation collaborated with data from the Instituto de los Mexicanos en el Exterior (IME), gathered through the consular network, as well as records from their interpretation service.
Janet Martínez explained that CIELO provides interpretation in indigenous languages across 32 states in the U.S. The requests received by the organisation help identify some of the languages spoken by individuals needing to communicate with hospitals, courts, and other institutions.
Mexican consulates also collect information regarding the municipalities from which individuals seeking consular services originate, aiding in estimating the regions in the U.S. where migrating indigenous communities reside. During the presentation, Mariah Tso highlighted that the project utilised a base of over 495,000 records to illustrate the presence of migrating indigenous communities across the United States. However, this figure does not necessarily correspond to the total number of indigenous language speakers in the country, as many do not approach consulates or request interpretation services. Additionally, those born in the U.S. may retain their indigenous identity and speak one of these languages without appearing in the records.
Understanding Identity Beyond Geography
Martínez, who was born in Los Angeles and maintains ties to her Zapotec community in Sierra Norte de Oaxaca, acknowledged that indigenous identity cannot always be explained solely through place of birth. “It is a unique experience for each of us, and often data cannot capture that,” she remarked.
During the presentation, a man from the audience, identifying as a speaker of Mixtec, shared his experience of being born in Mexico City and struggling to connect directly with a community in Oaxaca, Guerrero, or Puebla. His situation raised questions about how linguistic variants are identified when individuals are born outside their territories of origin.
This inquiry highlighted one of the project’s challenges: while records can provide insight into the distribution of communities, they do not always reflect the diverse ways in which individuals experience their identity, name their languages, or maintain connections with their places of origin. Therefore, Ecos de Vida should be viewed as an approximation of the linguistic diversity of indigenous peoples in the United States rather than a comprehensive register of all speakers.
The Risks of Visibility for Indigenous Communities
While showcasing the locations of migrating indigenous communities can yield benefits, it also poses potential risks. This concern was prevalent during the project’s development, particularly in light of the detentions and deportations faced by migrants in the United States.
Martínez recounted instances in Los Angeles where Yucatec Maya workers employed at car wash establishments were taken to detention centres or deported to Mexico. For CIELO, such experiences necessitated establishing boundaries regarding the geographical information to be included on the map.
Consequently, data is presented at the state level, and the stars are placed randomly within each state, aiming to prevent the platform from becoming a tool for locating already vulnerable populations. Simultaneously, the lack of information about the languages spoken by these communities can hinder their access to essential services. Martínez pointed out that many institutions in the U.S. assume that individuals from Mexico speak Spanish, while for some, their first language may be Zapotec, Mixtec, Maya, or another indigenous tongue.
A Tool for Accessibility and Recognition
“There are individuals in prisons, hospitals, and schools who require interpretation and do not receive it,” she noted. CIELO hopes that the map will serve as a reference tool for consulates, hospitals, courts, and care centres. Understanding the languages present in a region could assist in recognising when an individual requires interpretation and facilitate the search for those services.
For instance, if a person arrives at a hospital and struggles to communicate in Spanish or English, staff could consult the registered languages for that state and use that information to guide their search for an interpreter. The practical implications of this proposal are yet to be fully realised. Martínez mentioned that Ecos de Vida has not yet been publicly launched in the United States, although they anticipate doing so soon.
The Impact of Migration on Language Preservation
The map’s presentation also sparked reflections among attendees at the Centro de Cultura Digital. One woman shared that her parents spoke an indigenous language, which she also learned during her childhood. However, after migrating with her family to Mexico City, she ceased to use it. The change in territory also meant distancing herself from the customs and environments where she could previously hear and speak the language.
While observing the stars on the map, she thought of those who continue to speak their languages but also of those who have stopped due to the circumstances they face in their places of origin and the locations to which they migrate. “As an adult, I now have to relearn the language, and that is painful,” she shared.
Janet Martínez explained that racism can also influence families’ decisions to stop transmitting their languages. She recalled how her parents, who spoke Zapotec, faced challenges within the Los Angeles school system, where they received education in English and Spanish without recognition of their language. Mariah Tso further elaborated that migration and the pursuit of employment can distance individuals from the places where they once spoke their languages daily, making it difficult to preserve and pass them on to future generations.
Beyond Documentation: Supporting Indigenous Families
These experiences elucidate why CIELO’s work extends beyond merely documenting linguistic diversity. The organisation provides interpretation services, trains interpreters, and supports indigenous migrant families facing challenges in accessing food, housing, and other services.
For now, the stars that adorn the United States map represent only a fraction of the languages that have crossed borders with their speakers. “What we carry with us is incalculable,” expressed Mariah Tso. Behind these stars lie the stories of families striving to preserve their languages, individuals attempting to reclaim them, and generations raised far from their communities of origin. Ecos de Vida offers a glimpse into some of these narratives, though many remain uncharted, awaiting recognition and a voice.