Forward
Language is our identity as a community; it is the means through which our history, customs, norms, and traditions are stored and transferred from one generation to the next. It is a tool to link, inform, educate, and inspire the future generation. Without language, then it means cultures and traditions related to a specific group of people are lost. Language and culture are entangled and play an indispensable role in the preservation and passage of traditional knowledge from one generation to another. Research shows that approximately 95% of the world’s languages are at risk of extinction by the end of the 21st century. Indigenous languages face a greater risk of extinction due to the small number of people that speak these dialects. There is a greater need for indigenous communities to step-up efforts in preserving their languages. To achieve this, every community member should put in extra efforts to preserve their language, protecting it from extinction. Together we can develop and nurture our languages.
Indigenous peoples are well versed with traditional knowledge related to conservation, traditional medicine, and ecological knowledge; all these are anchored in the indigenous languages—thus the need to safeguard Indigenous languages from extinction.
The Ogiek is an indigenous Community that inhibits the Mau Forest Complex in Kenya. According to the Kenya Population and Housing Census (KPHC 2019), the community is on the verge of extinction. The total population of the Ogiek in Kenya is 52,596. Out of the total population, approximately 40% can speak the Ogiek original dialect while the rest have been assimilated.
Due to the dire need to revive and preserve the Ogiek language, the community has played a role in preserving their language through innovative initiatives. One of the initiatives amongst the indigenous Ogiek people of Kenya is university and college students’ involvement in folklore writing competitions using the indigenous languages. These led to a discourse between Ogiek youths and elders within the community who are well-versed in the knowledge. Through this, knowledge that could have been lost in the next decades is well documented and available for future generations.
Toongochiesiek oop Ogiek has been able to document rOgiek prayers, poems, and folklore for our generations to come.