The General Law on the Linguistic Rights of Indigenous Peoples () was published in the
Mexican ''
Official Journal of the Federation'' on 13 March 2003
[Lang, 2008; p.115] during the term of
Mexican President Vicente Fox Quesada. It gave rise to the creation of the
National Institute of Indigenous Languages.
This
law
Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the ar ...
is a juridical element that specifies the recognition of the individual and
collective rights
Individual rights, also known as natural rights, are rights held by individuals by virtue of being human. Some theists believe individual rights are bestowed by God. An individual right is a moral claim to freedom of action.
Group rights, also k ...
of the persons and peoples who own and practice some of the 68
Indigenous languages of
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
. In addition, it specifies nations as to be understood by Indigenous languages and national languages, the conditions of application of the decree, and the attributes, purposes and functions of the National Institute of Indigenous Languages. The law also considers Indigenous languages an integral part of the national cultural and linguistic heritage of Mexico.
The LGDLPI, in its Article 4, recognizes Indigenous languages as national languages with the same validity as Spanish:
The Indigenous languages that are recognized in the terms of this Law and Spanish are national languages due to their historical origin and will have the same validity, guaranteeing at all times the human rights to non-discrimination and access to justice in accordance with the Political Constitution of the United Mexican States and the international treaties in the matter to which the Mexican State is a party.
See also
*
Languages of Mexico
The Constitution of Mexico does not declare an official language; however, Spanish is the '' de facto'' national language spoken by over 99% of the population making it the largest Spanish speaking country in the world. Due to the cultural in ...
References
Bibliography
*
External links
Artículos de la Ley General (in Spanish)
2003 in law
2003 in Mexico
Bilingualism
Government of Mexico
Indigenous languages of the Americas
Indigenous peoples in Mexico
Indigenous rights in Mexico
Languages of Mexico
Law of Mexico
Language legislation
Linguistic rights
Legislation concerning indigenous peoples
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