Did you know that every single one of the 30 Mayan languages still spoken today is endangered? Ixil, the primary language spoken in Chajul, is one of these.
To work against this trend, we are publishing one of the first-ever bilingual Ixil-Spanish books! We are partnering with a Chajulense archeologist and linguist to create this book with 15 traditional Ixil stories, collected through interviews with community elders. And we are very proud to announce that our scholars will be the book’s illustrators! This first-of-its-kind collection will soon be available in our Saber Sin Límites (Limitless Knowledge) Community Library, and we can’t wait to share it with our young readers during weekly story hours.
Will you help preserve the endangered traditional Mayan Ixil language and culture through literacy and education?
Chajul has a rich oral storytelling tradition, but Ixil literature has been nearly non-existent until now. The language didn’t even have a written alphabet until the 1980s, and many adults are illiterate due to lack of educational opportunity during the 36-year Guatemalan Civil War. With your partnership, Limitless Horizons Ixil can help change this. Together, we can foster a culture of reading and learning among Chajul’s youth, while simultaneously preserving the rich local traditions.
Please make a contribution to empower Chajul’s future leaders to safeguard their rich language and history for the next generations.
With sincere gratitude,
Katie Morrow
Founder and Executive Director
P.S. Help us add to our library! In honor of World Book Day, for every $100 given, we will dedicate a new library book in your name (or in anyone’s name you’d like). Will you help us reach our goal of 50 new books in a week and give by May 3?