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Yásnaya Aguilar, a linguist and native Mixe speaker, asks what is lost, for everyone, when the contradictions inherent in Mexico’s relationship with its many Indigenous languages mean official protection and actual contempt at worst, and ignorance at best. What does it mean to have a prize for Indigenous literature when different Indigenous languages are as far from each other as they are from Japanese? What impact does considering Tzotzil “cultural heritage” have on our idea of it, when it is still being used, and refreshed, and changed (like every other language) today? How does the idea of Indigeneity stand up, when you consider Indigenous peoples outside of the frame of colonialism?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePersonal, anecdotal, and full of vivid examples, Aguilar does more than advocate for the importance of resistance by native peoples: she offers everyone the opportunity to value and enjoy a world in which culture, language, and community is delighted in, not flattened. “We have sacrificed Mexico in favor of creating the idea of Mexico” she says. 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From the ancient holy alphabets of the Middle East, now used only by tiny sects, to newly created African alphabets designed to keep cultural traditions alive in the twenty-first century: from a Sudanese script based on the ownership marks traditionally branded into camels, to a secret system used in one corner of China exclusively by women to record the songs and stories of their inner selves: this unique book profiles dozens of scripts and the cultures they encapsulate, offering glimpses of worlds unknown to us - and ways of saving them from vanishing entirely.","brand":"Hachette","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46166386147485,"sku":null,"price":35.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0671\/8783\/5037\/files\/9781529408249.jpg?v=1746652171"},{"product_id":"my-language-rights-a-child-s-right-to-their-language","title":"My Language Rights","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"descriptionPanel___wCiv7\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"panelContent___B_vGb\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDiscover the power and beauty of our world's languages!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMy Language Rights\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003einvites young readers into the rich tapestry of multilingual communities. 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