What Makes Us Human<\/em> is the work of Brazilian linguist and writer Victor Santos, with illustrations by Italian artist Anna Forlati.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The book uses the form of a riddle to introduce young readers to the concept of language while underscoring the need to preserve all languages globally.<\/p>\n \u201cI have existed for a long time, longer than toys, dogs, or anyone you know,\u201d the book begins.<\/p>\n \u201cMy roots date back several centuries. Some are even much older. I am everywhere, in every country, in every city, in every school, and in every home\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n UNESCO estimates that there some 8,324 spoken or signed languages, with around 7,000 still in use today. However, linguistic diversity is under threat as many languages are disappearing at an accelerating rate due to globalization and societal changes.<\/p>\n To help safeguard this heritage, UNESCO is joining forces with publishing houses across the world to translate What Makes Us Human<\/em> into as many languages as possible, with a special focus on indigenous languages.<\/p>\n For example, it is now available in Mapuzug\u00fan, the native language of the Mapuche people in Chile.<\/p>\n Courtesy of Nevenca Cayull\u00e1n<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Nevenca Cayull\u00e1n, a Mapuche educator, wearing traditional clothing and jewellery.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Nevenca Cayull\u00e1n, a traditional Mapuche educator, translated the book into her mother tongue. She expressed her love for Mapuzug\u00fan in a recent interview with UN News<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cMy mother taught it to me, and that is why I carry it in my skin, in my heart, and in my head,\u201d she said, speaking from Araucan\u00eda, the Mapuche heartland.<\/p>\n \u201cI make it present in all territories, wherever I am. Language is the engine that preserves culture, spirituality, the worldview of our indigenous people, respect, and the value of life.\u201d<\/p>\n For 25 years, the UN has celebrated International Mother Language Day on 21 February to highlight the importance of preserving linguistic diversity and promoting all mother languages, which in the simplest definition are those naturally acquired without being officially taught.<\/p>\n Ms. Cayull\u00e1n believes everyone\u2019s \u201cmother tongue\u201d is much more than that.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is a living human treasure, which is why it must be carried, taught, and educated in the establishments where children are confined to monolingualism but have the capacity to learn the culture of indigenous peoples, the land \u2013 in this case, the Chilean territory and all territories,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n With this conviction, she enthusiastically joined the What Makes Us Human<\/em> project when Planeta Sostenible, the publishing house co-editing the bilingual Mapuzug\u00fan-Spanish version of the book with UNESCO, proposed that she translate it.<\/p>\n \u201cUltimately, it\u2019s not just about the translation, but also the interpretation of the book. Being a translator and interpreter of the Mapuche language allows me to have the knowledge and capacity to understand such an important text as What Makes Us Human<\/em>,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was very relevant because the voice of my people, the voice of my ancestors, will reach others, other countries, other territories, that will learn about my culture. For me, it was incredibly important.\u201d<\/p>\n Editorial Planeta Sostenible and UNESCO<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Cover of the book What Makes Us Human in its bilingual Mapuzug\u00fan-Spanish edition<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Ms. Cayull\u00e1n lives in Chile\u2019s bustling capital, Santiago.\u00a0 She said the book shows how to recognize the simple things in life.<\/p>\n \u201cIt talks about the games or toys that children use and how we recover them, as well as the value of these games or toys, which are often forgotten. Before all this globalization, many things existed, and this also includes the knowledge of language, which was already there.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHowever, over time, everything has been left behind. The book talks about how to recover what was already there, how to understand the knowledge provided by what existed before globalization.\u201d<\/p>\n She said this was especially true for indigenous languages, \u201cespecially the language of the Mapuche people.\u201d<\/p>\n When asked what makes us human, Ms. Cayull\u00e1n highlighted the values of respect and appreciation of linguistic and territorial identity.<\/p>\n \u201cFor us, this is a living treasure that must be passed down, generation after generation. Language is the means we have to communicate with each other and share our culture, which is why what this book says is so important, and it says it in Mapuzug\u00fan as well,\u201d she responded.<\/p>\n What Makes Us Human<\/em> has been very well received in Chile, where it has initially been distributed in cities where children only speak Spanish.<\/p>\n \u201cI was at an event where many books were given out, and I obviously went with my Mapuche clothing,\u201d Ms. Cayull\u00e1n recalled.<\/p>\n \u201cThe children thought that Mapuches no longer existed; they thought I came from, I don’t know, another planet. They received the books very happily, excited to see me and to have a book translated into Mapuzug\u00fan. It was a very emotional event.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n When the Spanish conquistadores<\/em> arrived in what is now Chile in the 16th<\/sup> century, Mapuzug\u00fan was spoken from the Choapa River, which begins in the Andes mountains, to the island of Chilo\u00e9 in the south.<\/p>\n At that time, several groups shared this language. In the face of the Spanish presence, they came together and strengthened their bonds, eventually forming the Mapuche identity.<\/p>\n The Mapuche are the largest indigenous community in Chile, numbering more than 1.4 million. They mostly live in the central part of the country, but there is also a small group in Neuqu\u00e9n province in Argentina. Most live in urban areas.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, because of a history of repression, only 10 per cent of Mapuche speak Mapuzug\u00fan today, and only another 10 per cent understand it.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Carolina Jerez\/UNESCO Santiago<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Mapuche children from the Tir\u00faa Youth Orchestra at the launch of the “Mucho Chile” campaign in the capital, Santiago, in 2019.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n When asked whether What Makes Us Human<\/em> could help children reclaim pride in Mapuzug\u00fan, Ms. Cayull\u00e1n\u2019s response was clear.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, of course,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cYes, because it is a very easy-to-understand book. I believe that texts should be made with monolingual children in mind. I have faith that it will have an impact on society and the new generation.\u201d<\/p>\n She is adamant that defending her mother tongue, and encouraging its use, is a duty.<\/p>\n \u201cI have the responsibility to transmit knowledge. That is why I have this team of traditional educators where I promote speaking Mapuzug\u00fan in a city because we all live in Santiago.<\/p>\n \u201cBut from here, we are working with the traditional educators who are currently in schools, teaching these monolingual students from different communes in the metropolitan region.\u201d<\/p>\n Ms. Cayull\u00e1n explained that efforts to revitalize her language are slowly beginning to bear fruit through support from the Chilean Ministry of Education which is helping to disseminate What Makes Us Human<\/em> in schools.<\/p>\n She noted that since 1992, schools located in Mapuche territories have been teaching Mapuzug\u00fan as part of their curriculum.<\/p>\n \u201cThe child recovers their identity by seeing someone, perhaps in traditional clothing, perhaps wearing Mapuche jewelry. They will recover their identity. \u2018Oh, my grandmother talks like you, or my grandmother dresses like you, or my aunt\u2019\u2026 it\u2019s so significant.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The Mapuche educator acknowledges that, despite these advances, there is still a \u201cred zone\u201d in southern Chile where speaking Mapuzug\u00fan is forbidden.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is forbidden to be indigenous; cultural gatherings are prohibited. And this happens like an everyday war in the red zone,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cIf one passes by the highway, one sees the Chilean state guard, where they violate the rights of the children but also of the indigenous communities. And those children won\u2019t speak Mapuzug\u00fan but they won\u2019t speak out of fear, not because they dislike it.\u201d<\/p>\n Sadly, Ms. Cayull\u00e1n also noted some of the discriminatory incidents that indigenous people face because they are different.<\/p>\n \u201cI walk around Santiago in my traditional attire, and I have often been asked, \u2018Do you come from the area where they burn trucks?\u2019 This is a violation of people’s rights. If it\u2019s done to a child who is just starting their life, obviously they won\u2019t speak Mapuzug\u00fan and won\u2019t recognize it either.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\nLinguistic diversity in danger<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Love for the mother tongue<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\u2018A living treasure\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Cover](\"https:\/\/global.unitednations.entermediadb.net\/assets\/mediadb\/services\/module\/asset\/downloads\/preset\/Libraries\/Production%20Library\/20-02-2025_MotherLanguage_Portada.jpg\/image1024x768.jpg\" "\\"Cover")
\n<\/div>\nRecovering \u2018what was already there\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Language makes us human<\/strong><\/h2>\n
History of repression<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Mapuche](\"https:\/\/global.unitednations.entermediadb.net\/assets\/mediadb\/services\/module\/asset\/downloads\/preset\/assets\/2019\/04\/24-04-2019-UNESCO-mapuche6186462008_23a3cbc5cb_o.jpg\/image1170x530cropped.jpg\" "\\"Mapuche")
\n<\/div>\nDefend and encourage<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\u2018My grandmother talks like you\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Fear and discrimination<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Respect for diversity<\/h2>\n