Revitalizing Iskonawa Vocabulary

Iskonawa revitalization efforts are closely intertwined with the reclamation of ethnic identity, struggles for land sovereignty, and cultural traditions initiatives. These efforts are led by youth activists and women artisans organized in grassroots collectives such as the Organización para el Desarrollo y Bien Común del Pueblo Iskonawa (ODEBPI) and the Asociación de Artesanas Iskonawa Pari Awin.

Language revitalization takes place in cultural activities where Iskonawa words and expressions are remembered and reactivated by community members, embedding them in meaningful cultural contexts. Through these initiatives, the Iskonawa people recall the language once spoken by their ancestors—one they became aware they were forgetting as they adopted the region’s dominant Indigenous language, Shipibo-Konibo. While there is a growing recognition of the Iskonawa language as essential to reinforcing their identity, there is also an acknowledgment that the Shipibo language has become part of the way many Iskonawa people speak today.

With this perspective in mind, this project showcases Iskonawa vocabulary as it is expressed in cultural contexts, particularly through the artwork of Iskonawa artisans. Since 2018, their creative work has sparked a movement that has brought national attention to the Iskonawa people, with their designs featured in art fairs, galleries, and museums. This project highlights terms and expressions that are reemerging through artwork, emphasizing their contexts of use to make visible the work of those reclaiming a language considered endangered. The value of these words and expressions within their cultural settings offers a way to appreciate the richness of the Iskonawa language—not merely as a collection of dictionary entries, but as a living language that remains deeply embedded in Iskonawa culture today.

Abuelo y nieta transcribiendo una narración Iskonawa