Bobikíxh: An international online conference on the Indigenous languages of the Chiquitania

    Bobikíxh in the Chiquitano language is a voluntary cooperative work moved by a spirit of solidarity and reciprocity; this word was chosen as the name of an international online conference on the indigenous languages of the Chiquitania: Bobikíxh - I Encuentro de lenguas originarias de la región chiquitana (‘Bobikíxh - I Meeting on the Indigenous Languages of the Chiquitania Region’).

    Located in the lowlands of eastern Bolivia, the Chiquitania Region in the course of history hosted many ethnic groups and languages. In present day, the main indigenous language of the region is Chiquitano (aka Bésɨro), but also other languages such as Ayoreo, Guarayu, Guarasugwe and Paunaka are spoken; the list is much longer if one includes languages spoken in the past (Chané, Chapacura, Covareca, Curuminaca, Napeca, Old Zamuco, Otuque, Quitemoca, Saraveca). Most languages of the region are endangered and deserve more investigation: Paunaka, for instance, is only spoken in a few families. Chiquitano has an impressive geographic variation, which is so far little studied, and its speakers are making many efforts to save their language.

    On the 13th-14th November, the conference brought together scholars and students from three continents (the Americas, Europe and Oceania). They discussed the indigenous languages of the Chiquitania from a multidisciplinary perspective spanning not only linguistics, but also anthropology, data analysis, ecology, history, pedagogy, philology and religious studies. Attracting over a thousand people globally, the conference was co-organized by the Language and Culture Research Centre (represented by Dr. Luca Ciucci) along with two Bolivian institutions from the city of Santa Cruz: the History Museum of the Autonomous University Gabriel René Moreno and Voces Indígenas Urbanas (a group of indigenous communicators presenting on the point of view of the indigenous people of their region). The conference was also a multilingual event, with its official languages as Spanish, Portuguese and Chiquitano/Bésɨro.

    More information on the conference is available on the Language and Culture Research Centre’s webpage, and the videos of the conference are on the Facebook page of Voces Indígenas Urbanas (also accessible through the LCRC page).

    Organizers: José Chuvé, Luca Ciucci, Swintha Danielsen, María Pia Franco, Brittany Hause, Andrey Nikulin, Paula Peña, Ignacio Tomichá, Claudia Vaca.

    Organizing Institutions: Language and Culture Research Centre (James Cook University, Australia), Museo de Historia de la Universidad Autónoma Gabriel René Moreno (Santa Cruz, Bolivia), Voces Indígenas Urbanas (Santa Cruz, Bolivia). 

    Poster in Spanish

    Conference poster

    Back to List


    More News


    Industry Expert Series

    Industry Expert Series

    The Tropical North Queensland Drought Resilience and Innovation Hub (TNQDRIH) has engaged with two leading industry experts Professor Roger Stone and Bob Shepherd to build a series of v...

    Read More

    Waiting with no time to wait

    Waiting with no time to wait

    Young people are frequently relegated to a state of waiting; expected to passively absorb and learn an adult culture that actively damages the earth. Governments persist in relying on h...

    Read More

    Western Capes Futures Symposium

    Western Capes Futures Symposium

    The TNQ Drought Hub, Sustainable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Enterprise (SATSIE) program are pleased to partner with the Western Cape Chamber of Commerce, Aurukun Shire Counci...

    Read More

    Falling From The Sky

    Falling From The Sky

    James Cook University Associate Professor and The Cairns Institute Fellow Robyn Glade-Wright is passionate about climate change and seeks to communicate with the greater public about en...

    Read More

    Our islands: protection and conservation

    Our islands: protection and conservation

    The Oceania region has an incredible array of ecosystems and biocultural diversity along with many threats to those. Safeguarding and effectively managing such ecosystems and the liveli...

    Read More

    Tyá Dynevor joins CoTS

    Tyá Dynevor joins CoTS

    Tyá Dynevor is a proud Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander mixed-race woman; born on Dharawal Country, Campbelltown, Greater Western Sydney but had grown up between Darwin, Larrakia&nb...

    Read More

    Ellie embarks on a PhD

    Ellie embarks on a PhD

    Ellie Bock has been awarded a Masters degree after completing her Master of Philosophy (Society and Culture). Ellie’s primary advisor was Professor Allan Dale and her secondary advisor...

    Read More

    SATSIE 2022 Highlights

    SATSIE 2022 Highlights

    Allan Dale heads the TNQ Drought Hub team that sits within The Cairns Institute and delivers the Sustainable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Enterprise (SATSIE) program. The SATSIE&nbs...

    Read More

    Top

    © 2023 The Cairns Institute | Site Map | Site by OracleStudio | Design by LeoSchoepflin