A total of 69 secondary school students from Lima Metropolitana completed a free Quechua Chanka language course, the Ministry of Culture of Peru announced on Apr. 18. The initiative is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen, revitalize, and recover indigenous languages in the country.
The importance of preserving indigenous languages is highlighted by the fact that more than 720,000 people speak Quechua Chanka in Peru. Minister Soraya Altabás Kajatt said at the closing ceremony, “El quechua chanka es una lengua viva y fundamental en el Perú, hablada por más de 720 mil ciudadanos, lo que reafirma su valor cultural.” She encouraged students to use their new skills daily: “A donde vayan, lleven este conocimiento con orgullo. Desde el Ministerio de Cultura seguiremos impulsando y fortaleciendo estas iniciativas.”
The event took place at the ministry’s main headquarters and included other officials such as Percy Barranzuela Bombilla (Vice Minister of Interculturality), Ángel González Ramírez (Director General of Indigenous Peoples’ Rights), Gerardo García Chinchay (Director of Indigenous Languages), and Raúl Cisneros Cárdenas (course instructor). During the ceremony, Altabás Kajatt also said that indigenous languages are key tools for exercising rights and affirming cultural identity. She encouraged students to share their knowledge within schools and communities.
This marks the second year that the Ministry has offered free vacation courses in indigenous languages to secondary school students nationwide. This year’s program included 17 courses across 14 regions with participation from over 800 students. The curriculum covered several languages: Quechua Chanka, Quechua Cusco Collao, Quechua Áncash, Central Quechua, Mochica, Aymara, Shipibo-Konibo, Kukama Kukamiria, Nomatsigenga, Kawki and Kichwa.
Classes in Mochica (Lambayeque) and Kawki (Lima) are seen as milestones in revitalizing ancestral languages central to Peru’s cultural identity. These efforts reinforce education as a means for memory preservation and community connection.
The Ministry operates under its minister’s leadership according to its official website. It promotes social inclusion by protecting heritage and fostering diversity throughout Peru according to its official website. The ministry supports these programs through decentralized facilities as well as its San Borja headquarters according to its official website.
Founded in 2010 as an autonomous body within the Executive Branch according to its official website, it oversees national cultural policy while promoting intercultural dialogue and combating discrimination according to its official website.
