February 21, 2012 is International Mother Language Day, or Mother Tongue Day, first observed by the international community in 2000 expressly to promote linguistic diversity and multilingualism—this year’s theme is “Mother tongue instruction and inclusive education.”
Cultural Survival has put together a list of five things you can do to celebrate Mother Languages around the world.
For example, I just signed a petition on behalf of Miranda Washinawatok, a 7th grade student from the Menominee Nation in Wisconsin who was punished by teachers and coaches at her parochial school for “attitude problems” after teaching fellow Menominee students how to say “hello “ and “I love you” in the Menominee language, an endangered tongue spoken in North America for thousands of years.
Check out Our Mother Tongues for videos, and send an e-postcard to your Tweeps or Facebook friends!
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