Learning Totonaco
Irene Hernandez-Gaona
Within Mexico, there are about 68 dialects, many of which are at risk of going extinct. There are only ten dialects that are widely spoken. My family speaks both Totonac and Spanish, and I’m interested in keeping their unique history alive. Because most new generations prefer Spanish to Totonac, it is a problem that affects all the families that have roots to the Totonac dialect. Having a passion for languages, and knowing that it affects me, it is important not to forget my identity. That is why I created a pop-up book and a stop motion video, to teach young generations Totonac. With the help of my family I was able to complete this project. With the hope, that as a family, others will use these family-friendly educational tools.
The book explores the life cycle of a chicken. The video is about a little chick learning a valuable lesson about staying with his family. I hope that with this book and video families can come together to learn about Totonac and their identity. Together, they can explore a story of a chick and the birth of a chicken while retaining an important piece of culture.