Engaging Comunalidad as Theory and Praxis in Language Reclamation
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Abstract
Comunalidad is the result of struggle and collective reflection emerging from the daily resistance and lived experiences of Indigenous peoples in the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca, Mexico (Maldonado, 2010). Like comunalidad, language reclamation is inherently relational and dynamic, deeply connected to identity, autonomy, and self-determination. In this essay, I explore comunalidad as theory, praxis, and pedagogy asking: How might comunalidad, as a relational and situated praxis, inform efforts toward language revitalization? Understanding the foundations and contextual factors that give rise to comunalidad is necessary to illuminate its intersections with and implications for language reclamation. I argue that comunalidad prompts us to conceive of language reclamation as a collective purpose—one that arises from, informs, and strengthens community relational practices and processes. As theory, comunalidad informs language reclamation; as praxis, it actively shapes both language and the process of reclaiming it. In this way, comunalidad emphasizes the need for situated pedagogies rooted in the daily praxis of the community. Overall, a lens of comunalidad provides insight into how language reclamation can function as a collective process and responsibility, building and strengthening community relationality, self-determination, and resistance.
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