Main fundraiser photo

Help Preserve Native Languages

Donation protected
Hello!

My name is Kénta and I am an Indigenous youth currently living in Seattle. My mother's side of the family is Indigenous Central American and I will be returning home this November, 2018 for my auntie's wedding.

I am a Proactive Social Reform Activist fighting social injustices among a plethora of inequalities. Of these injustices include race.
As a ethnically mixed, brown body moving through this world, especially in the United States, race as affected me on a multitude of levels. Being an indigenous individual, that has also affected me tremendously. Being indigenous, but not a part of a tribe here in the US and having little to no support and resources of my cultures & languages is unacceptable.

I am also a linguist and have always had a passion for language learning. I began with popular languages that have a large demographic of literate & speaking peoples. Such languages have included Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, French, German and Arabic to name a few.
But after wanting to learn indigenous languages that my ancestors spoke and wanting to reconnect with my cultures and seeing how little to no resources are available over all, but especially in America was heartbreaking.
Being mixed, I speak French being proud of my Québécois heritage and I want to be able to study and speak indigenous languages that are also huge part of my heritage with the same ease of access to useful resources.

Fact, about 70% - 90% of all Guatemalans are of indigenous descent and Guatemala has a population of 17 million people and growing. However only about 7% - 15% of all Guatemalans speak any of the 25+ indigenous languages that are home to Guatemala.

I am a firm believer in that the children are our future. I may be a youth myself but I want to be able to pass down my traditions, my cultures and especially my languages not only to my children, but to all and any children.

I am asking for about $1,300 USD for me to be able to travel back home to Guatemala & Mexico this November to study indigenous languages, specifically Kaqchikel, K'iche, Mam, Garifuna, Juchitán Zapotec & Nahuatl.

With these donations I would be able to travel around Guatemala and up north to Oaxaca, Mexico before I fly home out of Mexico City, Mexico. I would also be able to purchase language learning materials that I would be able to study from, but also to pass them down to future generations to come. I would also be able to participate in cultural events and support indigenous communities & families. And all the rest of the donations I don't use will be sent to indigenous families, resource centres, and communities where I plan to stay.

If we could reach my goal of $1,300 USD by November this year it would be greatly appreciated not only by me, but youth & folx within the indigenous communities here in the States and in Central America. 

I will be making a book & video on me and my studying of these indigenous languages. I will also be posting my travels, adventures & progress on my social media. To help me get my cause out, sharing this on your social media would also help tremendously! Thank you all in advance!
Donate

Donations 

  • Joanne LoPresti
    • $10 
    • 5 yrs
Donate

Organizer and beneficiary

Kenta Cpsb
Organizer
Seattle, WA
Jake Gleysteen
Beneficiary

Your easy, powerful, and trusted home for help

  • Easy

    Donate quickly and easily.

  • Powerful

    Send help right to the people and causes you care about.

  • Trusted

    Your donation is protected by the  GoFundMe Giving Guarantee.