The Network of Linguistic and Sociocultural Archives of South America: actions, perspectives, and challenges

Abstract

This article outlines the background, contributions, actions, and challenges of the South American Network of Linguistic and Sociocultural Archives (RALSAS), a regional initiative established in 2020 through a scientific-technological agreement between academic institutions in Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Peru. The Network was created as a result of the need to coordinate efforts to document, preserve, study, and disseminate indigenous languages and other historically minoritized languages and varieties, while promoting the participation of speakers in the production, organization, and management of documentary resources.

Drawing on language documentation, field linguistics, and a critical perspective on language ecology, the article reflects on relationships among languages, communities, and institutions, as well as the historical and political conditions that produce linguistic minoritization. Within this framework, archives are conceived not merely as data repositories but as active spaces for linguistic and cultural transmission, community reappropriation, and revitalization. These creative functions are illustrated through experiences involving southern Andean languages —Mapuzungun, which is spoken with varying degrees of vitality, and the Huarpe languages, which have been “dormant” since the 18th century—, where sound recordings, historical materials, and colonial archives contribute to contemporary processes of linguistic and identity recovery.

The article also presents local and regional initiatives developed in Ecuador and Argentina that combine research, teacher training, creation of educational material, digital dissemination, and community participation. Finally, projects focusing on capacity building, the creation of culturally relevant archives, and the comparative study of central issues in South American languages are proposed. Main challenges include expanding regional representation, strengthening community participation, achieving greater technological compatibility among archives, and ensuring the safe, ethical, and sustainable long-term preservation of documentary materials throughout the region.