The Language Conservancy
The Language Conservancy
The Language Conservancy: Helping Save Indigenous Languages from Extinction Before It’s Too Late Thousands of Indigenous languages are disappearing, along with tribes’ histories, cultures, and identities. According to the UN, nearly 90% of all languages will become extinct in the next 100 years. It’s no surprise that Indigenous languages are disappearing at disproportionally faster […]
The Language Conservancy: Helping Save Indigenous Languages from Extinction Before It’s Too Late
Thousands of Indigenous languages are disappearing, along with tribes’ histories, cultures, and identities. According to the UN, nearly 90% of all languages will become extinct in the next 100 years. It’s no surprise that Indigenous languages are disappearing at disproportionally faster rates. One nonprofit, The Language Conservancy (TLC), refuses to let this injustice occur.
Against the backdrop of the United Nations’ Decade of Indigenous Languages, Rosica created a strategic PR and education campaign, focusing the world’s attention on this often-overlooked crisis. We interviewed Native American elders, scholars, and linguists and used their words to generate international news and content to fuel TLC’s mission.
We introduced the New Lakota Dictionary, the largest Native American dictionary in existence, to the media and strategic partners such as The New York Public Library, resulting in a powerful column by The New York Times’ influential scholar, John McWhorter.
We blanketed major markets with Yavapai-Apache, Dakota, and Ho-Chunk language preservation news stories and secured a national CBS-TV segment for TLC’s CEO, Wil Meya. Our strategic efforts have generated hundreds of earned media placements for the nonprofit and its vital mission.
When TLC hosted a conference on language revitalization, our coverage included international coverage on Voice of America and AFP stories. We highlighted best practices for language documentation and new technologies that exponentially advance language preservation and revitalization – making it faster and scalable.
What’s more, our Inside Philanthropy coverage raised critical attention for the nonprofit’s funding needs, plus our PR results generated the interest of two corporations looking to support the cause.
The organization experienced a 90% increase in media coverage since the outset of Rosica’s PR and strategic communications campaign. This continues to gain momentum and ensure no Indigenous group’s voice is silenced.
