Rethinking Indigenous Languages:

“Language is ourselves and the storage of our information. It is a tool to link and inspire the future generation”. These words were spoken by an old Ogiek woman (nda’sat). Our old folks passed on traditions and culture of hunting and gathering to us (the new generation), but now things are changing. The old language is disappearing. Young men are shunning the village life and are migrating to urban areas for education and jobs. Preserving the indigenous language in such a situation is tricky, but it calls for putting measures in place to recognize language diversity, promote and value speaking of indigenous languages as a means of community expressions with acceptance that all languages are equal and none is superior to the other.