So far it has been foreigners who have written something about my culture. There are often errors in the texts of these experts, probably because they have lied to them themselves. Until 2008, in order to protect their culture, community leaders decided not to write to the letter. They didn't like those who weren't aware of their culture or their language coming to ask for them. Not writing has been a means of preserving their culture. What do whites come to? To exploit gold and oil, to search for land, asking about the traditional health system... No wonder I have mistrust.

They live in Colombia, Panama and Ecuador, and they are about 70,000 people. Most of them live in Colombia, in the Pacific area, from north to south. Chocó is next to Panama and is the department that has the most swallows in Colombia.

By decision of the government, in 2008, classes were implemented in all regions of Colombia, and then the Chocó began to study Spanish through the school. The linguist Andoni Barreña explained that “they are not against learning Spanish, but they were frightened because through school only Spanish was strengthened and not their language”.

At first the diocese of Chocó took care of the schools. The diocese had very good relations with the indigenous Orewa association and agreed that in all schools there had to be a teacher who spoke the language, even if he did not have a degree. The criterion was that everything that was spoken was done in Spanish, but everything that was written was in Spanish. In 2010, it was the Orewa association that took over the schools, and they decided that they had to start writing in their language. To this end, they asked the UNESCO Chair of World Linguistic Heritage of the UPV/EHU for their experience in Euskera in the Basque Country. Biologist Mikel Mendizabal and linguist Andoni Barreña have participated in the project.

Teacher training

Enberena has been the initial initiative and the community is working on the definition of objectives and on the design of the way to work. Barreña is clear that the Basques have done merely advisory work there: “They don’t want us to make our school. They want to make a school to build the society they dream of, from their worldview, from their culture.” The linguist has said that mine has had a lot of reluctance towards them: “It was hard for them to see that we too were indigenous, that we were not typical white people. We tell them that ours is also about to disappear, that we too have had worldview.”

The writing process has three objectives: to set spelling, to collect words to complete the vocabulary and to train teachers to create school material. Awareness-raising and identity issues have also been addressed in the training workshops. “It often happens – says Andoni Barreña – to say these things in these countries: Why do they have to learn our language in school? They will learn at home; Spanish at school.’ I've never heard of that for swallows." The teachers who have participated in the workshops are young, mostly high school students. For them it's been exciting to be creating a code written from scratch: “I’ve heard it dozens of times, ‘it’s the first word I write in my language.’”

In 2010, 12 vocals and 20 consonants were defined. When preparing the vocabulary, the workshops focused on semantic areas by areas: human body, family and society, home, time, territory, senses, numbering and operations...It is a rich dictionary, they have many things to name. For example, they have a word to say clitoris, but we've taken that concept of science.

They've written alphabets of images and illustrated dictionaries, they've created a dictionary so that children can be literate in school. The compilation of words has been carried out in the three variants spoken in Chocón. The workshops are held in villages where there is a school concentration – they go to school for a few days and then they go back to the villages. Andoni Barreña highlighted the interest he has aroused in the people: “Everyone sees what is done in the community. Many children and seniors have approached the workshops, and they have also drawn, explained and learned.”

200-hour course in 2012

Last year, the Orewa Association and the Fucla Public University, in collaboration with the UNESCO Chair, designed a course of Diplomatura in Ethnolingualism of 200 hours. A total of 60 professors participated in Quibdón, capital of Chocó. The main objective of the course has been the training of teachers in the field.

The course was held at the university and from the beginning they decided to use it for empathy; it was the first time it was used systematically at the university. Among the things we have done is Tachi Pedea magazine (our word), the first magazine in verse Chocón. On the other hand, the Thachi tua brochure has begun to collect maps of areas, rivers, orchards...

From now on...

Schoolchildren begin to learn to read and write in Basque language. Barreña has valued that teachers need more intensive courses: “In Euskal Herria, people with a lot of teaching experience should go there to convey that capacity.” The Enberes have asked that the course not be held in the capital alone. The problem is that that requires money and organization. The Orewa association also has a new project: they want to turn the course into a diploma, equivalent to two university courses, to integrate it into the university system of Colombia. They're negotiating with the University of Chocó. The problem is the same, diplomatura would be done in the capital and many have problems going there: “It often takes a two-day trip. If we add to that the course and being there all week, it’s a lot of money, it’s an incredible effort.”

In August 2012, the first Basque Language Congress was held in Chocó. Numerous specialists attended, including Mendizabal and Barreña. The congress echoed in Colombia. Behind these first written words come the years of many dreams and jobs for the people.