Students of the Taymyr College in traditional clothing of Nganasan, Nenets, Dolgan, Enets Peoples© Archives of the Taymyr College From Spoken Word to Digital World May 12, 2025Arctic PeoplesSustainable Development Working Group Safeguarding Arctic Indigenous Languages Arcticle by: Kimberly Aiken, Sustainable Development Working Group Trond Trosterud, UiT - the Arctic University of Norway Mikhail Pogodaev, Ministry Arctic for Development and Indigenous Peoples Affairs, Sakha Republic Anatoly Zhozhikov, UNESCO Department at North-East Federal University Language is more than a tool for communication; it’s the heart of culture, the vessel of history, and the foundation of identity. For Indigenous Peoples of the Arctic, language weaves together the knowledge of ancestors, the rhythms of the land and the spirit of resilience in the face of rapid change. Each word carries centuries of wisdom—stories of survival, traditions of stewardship and unique worldviews that cannot be translated with mere vocabulary. Yet, these languages, once passed seamlessly through generations, now face an unprecedented threat of extinction. Digitalization as a Bridge Between Generations The rapid development of the Internet has triggered the creation of social networks, resulting in a new virtual multicultural environment, in which there are no borders, distances or time constraints and in which it’s possible to communicate in almost any language of the world. This digital environment offers tremendous opportunities, including freedom of expression, education, preservation and development of languages, culture and spirituality. However, to be present in this new environment and to benefit from digitalization, languages and cultures need to have access to the appropriate tools and resources, including proofing tools, keyboards, letter representation – and not least knowledgeable writers. The Arctic is home to over 40 unique Indigenous languages and Indigenous Peoples are the creators and custodians of these rich oral traditions reflecting the diverse cultures and communities of the region. For many centuries they have mastered the Arctic landscapes, adapted to extreme natural and climatic conditions, developed distinctive cultures and lived in harmony with nature. These languages are therefore embedded in traditional ecological knowledge, storytelling and intergenerational teachings. However, globalization, anthropogenic and technogenic impacts on the environment and active industrial development are having a profound impact on the traditional way of life of Arctic Indigenous Peoples, risking complete assimilation and loss of cultures, ways of life and languages. As fluent speakers age, fewer young people are learning their ancestral tongues, threatening the loss of cultural heritage that has sustained Arctic communities for millennia. It’s therefore necessary to pay attention to these processes and to intensify activities to preserve and develop languages and traditional culture. At the present stage, digital technologies such as the Internet, GIS and mobile communications can play an important role in the preservation and development of the languages and cultures of Arctic Indigenous Peoples. Furthermore, the United Nations declared 2022–2032 as the International Decade of Indigenous Languages in an effort to revitalize and safeguard linguistic diversity worldwide. This decade-long initiative underscores the vital role language plays in upholding human rights, self-determination, Indigenous empowerment, and sustaining traditional lifestyles that are inextricably linked to cultural, spiritual and social practices and connections to the land and its ecosystems.