Bridging the Gap at the Expense of Widening the Divide: An Effort to Preserve and Prosper Indigenous Peoples

Abstract

Faced with questions of “What is a language worth?” and “Does the ability to provide for one’s family outweigh the destruction of culture?”, governing bodies across the globe are grappling with the double-edge sword of preserving vs. prospering Indigenous peoples. With some linguistic experts estimating a loss of a majority of indigenous languages by the end of the century, and ever-growing health and economic crises plaguing Indigenous peoples, proper legislative action to promote prosperity and preservation is desperately needed. After an examination of legislative outcomes and currently proposed solutions, it is clear this situation is far from being solved. However, the global community is in dire need of an answer before it is too late.