Matlatzinca language rescue project launched in Mexico

Educator Ermelando Mendoza Domínguez has launched a musical pedagogical project titled ‘Uniendo voces en Matlatzinca’ (Rukurre ne bemueni fot’ una) to preserve the Matlatzinca language in San Francisco Oxtotilpan, Mexico.

The initiative aims to prevent the extinction of the language, which currently exists only through oral tradition and lacks widespread written historical records. The project is supported by the Multilingual and Community Cultural Actions Program (PACMyC) of the Mexican Secretariat of Culture, in partnership with the Government of the State of Mexico.

The effort addresses a legacy of institutional discrimination from the 1970s and 1980s, when children were reportedly punished for speaking their native tongue in schools. This historical hostility led previous generations to prioritize Spanish to protect their children, resulting in a decline in language transmission.