Nuqanchik: Peruvian news and the politics of language
Quechua is one of South America's oldest languages and now some journalists are challenging its marginalisation.
17 Dec 2018 07:41 GMT
As a Chilean, when I travel to Latin America to cover a story, I usually understand what my interviewees are telling me. I am able to pick up on the finer points and ask follow-up questions that get me nearer to the story. But this time round, I didn't understand a word, because my interviewees were speaking in Quechua - one of the main indigenous languages in Peru.
I was speaking to Clodomiro Landeo and Marisol Mesa, presenters of the news show 'Nuqanchik', which means "us" in the Quechua language. 'Nuqanchik' has been broadcasting in Quechua for the past year. The show is part of a drive on Peru's public TV channel to counter the racist consequences of colonial representational power.
When it comes to representation on the public stage, Peru's indigenous populations are, at best, fetishised, commodified, orientalised. At worst, they are spoken about, spoken for, spoken at - even laughed at. But there are signs that this could be changing, albeit at a snail's pace.
This week, a comedy show called 'La Paisana Jacinta' (Jacinta, the Peasant), which had been ridiculing indigenous women for years, was taken off air and off line, after a judge ruled in favour of a group of indigenous women from Cuzco who had accused the show of violating their human rights.
More:
https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/listeningpost/2018/12/nuqanchik-peruvian-news-politics-language-181208073950104.html