As a Wearer of Many Hats Promoting the Quechua Language, Language Activist Can Now Include Meme Maker

(Approximate translation: "I know Quechua!")

Margot Camones Maguiña is taking part in the Mother Language Meme Challenge creating memes in the Quechua language (Ancashino or Central variant).

Currently living in Huaraz, Peru, Margot wears many hats, all of which are directly related to teaching and promoting her mother language. Not only is she a professor at a local public education institute, but she is an interpreter, translator, academic director of the regional Quechua academy, and an intercultural judge with the Superior Judicial Court of Ancash.

In an interview with Rising Voices, she describes the role that Quechua plays in her life, "Quechua represents my Peruvianess, my identity, my profound love, my eternal passion, my backbone, my reason to exist, and above all my motto is 'Andean heart, Quechua by tradition and passion'"

For her participation in the Mother Language Meme Challenge, she has been sharing her memes on his Twitter account @MargotCamones and her blog "Anqash Qichwa Shunquyuq".

Rising Voices (RV): What is the current state of your language both offline and on the internet?

Margot Camones: I am working with several interesting projects to promote and preserve the Quechua language, such as a television program, Facebook page, a Quechua learning group called "Shumaq Willanakuy," as well as a blog where we share topics related to the language. We have also signed an agreement with the Higher School of Artistic Training of Ancash to teach the language for free. I also work with the Institute of Intercultural Bilingual Education Speciality, where we produce texts, songbooks, and compile all types of information related to the language and culture, such as signs, wisdoms, ways of life, and other information so that we can share it through a number of different media, such as Facebook.

There are also a channel on YouTube, where we share our videos that are produced in cooperation with a number of different people, especially those that are a part of our wider network.

There is an ongoing challenge to position Quechua on the internet, since to date there is not much acerbic documentary, but we are moving in that direction. For example, I am thinking of ways to share the publications that I have, such as in case of our blog. In our Facebook group there are many people who interact with one another to learn the language. To certify their participation, we have the support of the Regional Academy of Quechua of Ancash. And this is one way that we continue to promote Quechua in all public spaces.

RV: Why did you decide to participate in the Mother Language Meme Challenge?

MC: I decided to participate in the meme challenge because it was another opportunity to share and promote Quechua in these space. It was here that not only did I find my own language, but many more languages that one can learn from.

Presently, all the virtual spaces we have created on the internet are used to teach and to continue to create awareness, above all to give value and importance to Quechua just as other languages do. In addition, I am pleased to welcome Vanesa Ropón Palacios who has taken on the challenge of creating memes in Quechua with great enthusiasm. As an Intercultural Bilingual Education student with Quechua Ancashino as her mother language, she identifies with the language.

RV: Who would you like to challenge to create a meme in this language? and why? (who would you like to invite to create memes in your language or perhaps another language)

MC: I would like to challenge Liseth Atamain, a hard-working woman, who is in charge of a page called Cultura Awajun. I would like to see memes in her language to see what she would come up with. I imagine that would be very beautiful, as in my sweet Quechua.

Find more memes from the Mother Language Meme Challenge in a variety of global languages by checking out the #MemeML hashtag on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. There is also a Facebook group for the Challenge with contributions from all across the world.