Chile | Revitalization of the Mapuche and Quechua Languages in the Metropolitan Area to Reinforce Cultural Diversity and Indigenous Heritage

Chile is actively promoting with a program the reviitalization of the Mapuche and Quechua languages in the metropolitan area to reinforce cultural diversity and indigenous heritage in the country. 

Mapuche and Quechua are both indigenous languages of South America, they are distinct language families with different histories and speaker populations, part of of the rich cultural heritage of Chile.

Quechua is a language family with a large number of speakers, mainly in the Andes region and was the language of the Inca Civilization, Also known as “Runa Sumi” (People language),  it spread throughout the Inca Empire becoming the most widely spoken indigenous language in the Americas. it is an agglutinative language where words are built from a basic roots and suffixes that can change meaning. The Quechua has diverse dialects, some of which are not mutually intelligible, and it has had a significant influence on Chilean Spanish and Spanish in other areas where the Inca Empire once was. 

Mapudungun is the language of the Mapuche people, a language isolate primarily spoken in southern Chile and parts of Argentina.It was influenced by Quechua during the Inca expansion showing structural and lexical similarities to Quechua and Aymara, a phenomen attruibuted to a long period of contact and convergence, which can be seen in toponyms (place names) and other vocabulary. The Mapudungun includes dialects like Huilliche spoken in the Los Lagos and Los Ríos regions and Picunche, which is another group within the larger Mapuche macro - ethnic group. 

During the second half of 2025, more than ten communities in the Metropolitan Area which refers to the Santiago Metropolitan Region, the country’s only landlocked region and its most populous area, located in the central valley, and home of the capital city, Santiago, participate in the “Linguistic Nests”, an initiative promoted by the National Corporation for Indigenous Development (CONADI) and the Academy of Mapuche Language and Culture Urban Context (ALMaCU) that seeks to revitalize Mapuche and Quechua languages and cultures from early childhood.  

The strategy includes kindergartens in communes such as La Cisterna, San Bernardo, Pintana and Puente Alto, where Indigenous Language and Culture Educators (ELCIs) teach traditional words, songs and sounds, also integrating families, as reported by El Ciudadano, a Chilean media outlet.

The National Director of CONADI, Álvaro Morales, stated that the Linguistic Nests revalue the native languages and their worldview, while the coordinator of the project, María Hueicghaqueo, stressed the importance of the language also being lived in homes.

The Linguistic Nests represent an important step in the revitalization of indigenous languages and cultures, in line with the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022 – 2032) proclaimed by the United Nations. 

With this joint work between communities, educators and families, in Chile the appreciation of cultural diversity and the strengthening of native identities from childhood are promoted. 

Link 

https://tvbrics.com/es/news/en-chile-impulsan-la-revitalizaci-n-de-las-lenguas-mapuche-y-quechua-en-la-regi-n-metropolitana/