Self-documentation and participatory autonomy in language documentation

Abstract

This article analyzes some material and conceptual implications of a participatory methodology and fieldwork design that is being implemented for the documentation of Chedungun, the geographical variant of Mapudungun spoken by the Pewenche in Alto Biobío, Chile. We show how self-documentation practices (i.e., community members conducting documentation themselves) can have a beneficial influence on three different aspects: knowledge, value, and agency. We argue that these non-intrusive practices need not oppose professional standards and can be conceived and implemented in co-existence with science-oriented documentation. Overall, self-documentation is a sustainable workflow allowing for an ecological knowledge flow, thus favoring the generation of intergenerational links among community members and a sense of participatory autonomy that satisfies ideals both within and beyond the indigenous community.