This project will revitalize the Ashéninka language of the Perené River, currently at high risk and in danger of extinction. Within the community, there are few speakers still alive, and only 2% of children speak the Ashéninka language fluently. The guardians of this particular Ashéninka linguistic variant can only be found among the elders of this community, so it is imperative that this project begin immediately.
Beginning with the compilation of traditional and cultural knowledge, using audio, video, images and other media, bilingual materials will be developed that aim to revitalize the language and support cultural development.
Children, adolescents, adults and grandparents will meet to share their native language through stories and songs, and younger children (boys and girls aged 3 to 6) will engage in experiential learning of the culture and their native language.
In addition, handicraft workshops will be offered in the community to recover the traditional creation of fabrics, dyes, necklaces, etc., with the participation of elders, who will guide and instruct exclusively in their native language.
Lastly, performing arts workshops will be held, in which young people will enact stories and legends in the Ashéninka language.
The vision of this project is to ensure that this Indigenous language remains alive, spoken and written, spreading its cultural and linguistic richness to future generations with trained bilingual education for children. Its vision is also for families within this community, in the tourist village of El Remanso, to proudly embody and share their culture through artistic endeavors.