The use and protection of indigenous languages in Panamanian legislation

Abstract

This article describes the use, respect, and protection of the indigenous language as a mechanism for protecting human rights in Panamanian legislation. The legal research, based on the descriptive methodology, involved the collection of all the regulations that the Panamanian state has promulgated regarding the linguistic rights of the indigenous peoples of Panama. The Panamanian state's commitment to linguistic rights is evident in these regulations. The indigenous language has been recognized as a human right in Panama to safeguard ancestral knowledge and cultural values. The indigenous peoples of Panama are subjects of linguistic human rights. Therefore, they can invoke and protect their mother tongue against a dominant language. The use and protection of the indigenous language in Panamanian legislation seek to protect and guarantee the seven Indigenous languages so that they are not violated in the social context and also to make the Indigenous person understand that their mother tongue is protected as a guarantee of human right in Panama, as well as its importance in the cultural context. This article focuses on the linguistic law aspect of Panama's indigenous peoples, examining how regulations establish the use, maintenance, revitalization, and protection of these indigenous languages.

Hiek päardʌ haunʌm

Mʌg p’ã sim gaai jua chog nʌm jaaudee sim, hök’önaa maimua maach Wounaan meu t’ʌa naawia maguata maach Wounaan dënk’a t’ʌa sim Ley Panamapien dën. Mʌg Ley jʌr nʌman mʌg gaaita sim jaaunaa wajap’a wawaag, t’umaam k’ʌʌn Ley habamʌg p’ë haunaa jaau k’ʌʌi nʌm Panamapien joobajem haig má jaausiman maach meu dënma Panamapien Wounaan p’öbör dën. Wounaan meu t’umaam k’ʌʌnau panamá k’ak’apdö nʌm Wounaan dënk’a sim jöoin k’ĩirjũg hich mag hãk’a waiwenʌrraag maimua jöoinhí wajapcharan. Hi sin, Panamapien Wounaan p’öbör hag gaaita k’ap’ʌnaa maach meu Wounaan dënk’a sim, mag k’ĩirjũg jëwaag wai nʌm jua chogaag maimua hich meu t’ʌag hat’ee meu pömaam t’ʌnʌm k’ʌʌn ná. Hich hagjö k’ap’ʌ hapijö Wounaan k’at’ʌnʌm k’ʌʌnag ya pʌ meu t’ʌa sim mʌig panama wajap’a jaau sim chadcha pʌch dënk’a sim, hich mag wajap’a sim haawäi jöoinhí maach nʌm haig. Maguata, jua chognaa maimua Wounaan meu t’ʌajem Ley Panamapien dën t’ʌag hat’ee jʌr sim maimua Wounaan meu jua hãb numi hawia chadcharam k’aigba jaaupimaaugau t’umaam k’ʌʌnag. Hacha mʌg p’ãsimau wai sim k’aug nʌm hoopieg Wounaan p’öbör Panamapien hamach meu hamach dënk’a sim. Mʌg p’idagau jua chogjö dën Ley hoopi sim jãgata t’ʌbaagpá, t’ʌa nʌm, juapá warag dee nʌm maimua Wounaan meu warag t’ʌa nʌm.