Jaqaru is legal

[Bruce Mannheim]

Dear MJ,

 

This is as good a time as any to tell you what an inspiration you both have
been for me.

 

I wish I had been there for the presentation, but plan to pick up Dr.
Bautista’s book as I pass through Lima.

 

Qusqumanta ñapakunkichis,

 

Bruce

 

From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU]
On Behalf Of MJ Hardman
Sent: Monday, August 16, 2010 4:40 AM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: [ILAT] Jaqaru is legal

 

70 years after Dr. Dimas Bautista Iturrizaga began his search for a way to
read and write his language and 50 years after I began my work and he
developed Qillqyatxi, the grafemario for Jaqaru, based on my phonological
analysis, Jaqaru is at last legal and can now be taught in the schools.  I'm
still stunned.  We got the call at midnight Saturday night!.  The amount of
work to make this happen is more than astounding.  Finally.  It will be
publically announced at the Presentation of Dr. Bautista's book, Mark Qillqa
— TUPE — Estudio-Histórico Cultural de Marka–Tupe, Pueblo de habla Jaqaru,
Año 750 D.C – 2010 (550 pages pt 10), this evening.  

Now the next hard part: preparing people (we have one young man,
semi-linguist, for whom we have not yet succeeded in obtaining support); the
training of the teachers (I have given several classes; much more is needed
and not by me alone); the Database we are building must be made fully and
easily available for the native users (some 160 texts for Jaqaru and 110 for
Kawki); we need to find funding to get the other half of my material online
— the only source of monolingual speech; and Dr. Bautista's book needs to be
in every classroom in Yauyos.  Among other things.

Is it too little too late?  Between Dr. Bautista’s book and our internet
work Jaqaru does now have a chance of surviving.  We hope.

MJ 

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