Lorena Hurtado Malillos, University of Valladolid
In this contribution, the situation of minorized languages in Latin America is analyzed, in particular the situation of Quechua from a historical and legal perspective. Thus, it dates back to the discovery of the so-called New World, the first years of the Spanish conquest of America and the work which was carried out by the congregation of the Dominicans in defending the indigenous peoples and languages.
The activity of the Dominican missioners in the New World was not limited to theological aspects. These missioners had a solid humanistic formation and a proficiency in classical languages. This fact paved their way to become pioneers in the translation and diffusion of the indigenous languages in America. Among these missioners, Domingo de Santo Tomás was the one who published the first Quechua-Spanish dictionary in Valladolid in 1560.
The Dominican Order stood out for their fight in defence of human rights and for the exposure of the abuses committed by the Spanish conquerors against the indigenous peoples during the conquest of America. Examples are the sermon of Antonio de Montesinos or the chronicles of Bartolomé de las Casas. This action had an impact on the metropolis. Indeed, in 1512, the Leyes of Burgos (“Laws of Burgos”) were enacted. This was the first codified set of laws protecting the indigenous people of the Americas. Also, Francisco de Vitoria, who is said to be the father of international law and who was the founder of the School of Salamanca, wrote a freedom charter for the indigenous peoples of America. The Dominican congregation was also the founder of the University of Santo Tomás de Aquino (Santo Domingo), which is deemed to be the first university in the New World. It should be noted that these centres already gave special importance to language learning. In the newly created professorships of the Universities of Peru and Mexico, missioners had to pass an exam on Amerindians languages which enabled them to preach.
In this vein, this contribution will address multilingualism and minorized languages in the translation process. Furthermore, it will be claimed that the Dominican Order played a paramount role in the protection of the peoples of the New World and the conservation of their languages.