By the year 2100 the United Nations says that over half of indigenous languages will be extinct.
So, a new Google Earth project in collaboration with the United Nations now has aims to preserve Indigenous languages.
Google Earth launched the new interactive project Friday, August 9, that features 55 languages from 27 different countries.
The project invites users to explore the globe while listening to audio clips from Indigenous language speakers, as well as written anecdotes describing why the preservation and revitalization of their culture and language is important.
The UN has named 2019 the International Year of Indigenous Languages, and the launch of the project on Indigenous Peoples Day was done to mark the occasion.
“Of the 7,000 languages spoken around the globe, 2,680 Indigenous languages — more than one third of the world’s languages – are in danger of disappearing,” the project page says.
Seven languages featured in the project are from Canadian Indigenous and First Nations peoples.
