Also Known As:
Kawesqar, Kaweskar, Qawasqar, Kawashkar, Qawashqar, Halakwalup, Pecheré, Southern Alacaluf
Dialects & Varieties
- Kawésqar
- Tawóqser
- Alakaluf
Kawesqar (Chile) - Language Snapshot
Rodrigo Becerra (2019). Kawésqar (Chile) — Language Snapshot. In Peter K. Austin (ed.) Language Documentation and Description, vol 16. London: EL Publishing. pp. 187-192. http://www.elpublishing.org/PID/175
Critically Endangered
100 percent certain, based on the evidence available
About 10
Native Speakers Worldwide
Speaker Number Trends
Speaker Number Trend 5
A small percentage of the community speaks the language, and speaker numbers are decreasing very rapidly.
5
Domains of Use
Domain Of Use 5
Used only in a few very specific domains, such as in ceremonies, songs, prayer, proverbs, or certain limited domestic activities.
5
Transmission
Transmission 5
There are only a few elderly speakers.
5
Speakers
Native or fluent speakers:
No results found.
Second-language speakers and learners
No results found.
Semi-speakers or rememberers
No results found.
Children:
No results found.
Young adults
No results found.
Older adults
No results found.
Elders
No results found.
Ethnic or community population
980
Year information was gathered
No results found.
Comments on speakers
Documentation projects have produced brief dictionaries, translated traditional narratives, a pedagogical grammar, two teaching handbooks, and a sound archive; however, conversational communicative events remain undocumented.
Location and Context
Countries
Puerto Edén, Wellington Island, in the southernmost region ofMagallanes, Chile
Location Description
No results found.
Government Support
Chilean law recognises the existence and rights of ethnic populations
Institutional Support
No results found.
Speakers' Attitude
The Kawésqar community has demanded Federal bilingual intercultural education system (EIB) include their language, but no educational curricula has been developed as of 2017 (Comunidad Kawésqar Residente en Puerto Edén).
Other Languages Used By The Community
None
Number of Other Language Speakers:
None
Domains of Other Languages:
None
Writing Systems
Standard orthography:
No results found.
Writing system:
No results found.
Other writing systems used:
No results text.
Comments on writing systems:
No results found.
Recent Resources
Video que muestra uno de los sitios documentados en Exploración Etnogeográfica al Parque Nacional Be
images and kawesqar song in the background
This documentary shows the work of Oscar Aguilera, chilean ethnolinguist that has been working for m