Two indigenous languages, two stories of revival
Beaten for speaking the language; shame around speaking it; suppressed and ridiculed by the British. Sound familiar?
Welsh is a dead language.
This is what I’ve been hearing my entire life.
I’ve always been aware of the comparison between my language and te reo Māori. Both, I knew, shared the precarious position of being endangered languages.
I was surprised, then, to read this article looking to Wales with admiration for its handling of the language.
Growing up, I would never have confessed to enjoying Welsh language music, television or books. I made a point of not being seen with the patriotic Welsh kids, and spoke to friends in English despite knowing we both spoke Welsh at home.
Link to article: Te reo Māori and Welsh: Two indigenous languages, two stories of revival | The Spinoff
