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Native Languages in Latin American
Spanish could be paried with a Native language from Latin America (Central or South America) just as English has been paired with Navajo. The same idea could be applied elsewhere, where there are large numbers of speakers of a give Native language. Ultimately I envision eight such bilingual projects in Latin American countries:
Language |
Country |
Speakers |
Inter-American Division (IAD) |
Yucatán Maya |
Mexico |
700,000 |
Central K'iche' |
Guatemala |
1,900,000 |
South American Division (SAD) |
Ayacucho Quechua |
Peru |
900,000 |
Chimborazo Highland Quichua |
Ecuador |
1,000,000 |
Cuzco Quechua |
Peru |
1,500,000 |
Central Aymara |
Bolivia |
1,790,000 |
South Bolivian Quechua |
Bolivia |
2,780,000 |
Paraguayan Guaraní |
Paraguay |
4,648,000 |
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Challenge
Benito Juarez, a five-term president of Mexico (1858–1861 as interim, then 1861–1872) and himself a Zapateco Indian, once remarked that "They [the Indigenous people of Mexico] need a religion which impels them to read." I want Seventh-day Adventism to be such a religion.
We must read Scripture above all, but there is room for supporting materials as well, especially in a bilingual environment where literacy is low but Native language retention is high.
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