研究班番号【 56 】

How to Preserve the Ainu Language
Yuhi Kawata, Towa Sanada, Hinata Maruyama,
Nobuto Ohkubo, Nonoka Ohnishi, Sara Wada

1. Introduction
Some languages used in the world have already disappeared or are in danger ofdisappearing due to religious issues, national divisions, or the conquest of regions throughcolonization. Some of these endangered languages are ,or were, spoken in Japan. The
following table shows endangered languages in Japan.
Table1 Risk of Disappearance
ExtremelyAinu

seriouslanguage

MoreYaeyama

Yonaguni

seriouslanguage

languageSerious

Hatijyou

Amami

Kunigami

Okinawa

Miyakolanguage

language

language

language

language

According to the Japanese agency for culture affairs, the languages in Table1 are still
spoken in Japan. With the exception of the Ainu language, all other minor Japanese
languages are spoken in Okinawa. The reason for the decline of Japanese minority
languages is due to their assimilation into standard Japanese and the standardization
policies for language use adopted in the Meiji era. A comparison of languages which havebeen lost in other cultures may provide insight into finding out what happened to thoselanguages, and to finding a way to keep the Japanese minority languages from disappearing.
As the Ainu language is most at risk, that focus for comparison is the most logical starting
point.

2. Method
Research on the Internet was conducted to how the Maori language, Hawaiian language,
and how the preservation effects in New Zealand and Hawaii can be applied to the Ainu
language in Japan.
3. Results①Native Hawaiian Language

The native Hawaiian language has been used throughout the Hawaiian Islands since the8th century, but in 1992 the number of native speakers had dropped to 2,000. The following
three points are considered as factors of this decline:
・Reduction of indigenous peoples due to infectious diseases brought in from Western Europe
・Insufficiency of the Hawaiian dynasty that urged modernization
Since the middle of the 19th century, the number of public high schools whose educational
language is Hawaiian has dropped dramatically. In 1896, the Hawaiian government
designated English as the official language of government offices, so in 1896 English became
the primary educational language in schools. Additionally, this policy was used to ban theuse at the Hawaiian language at home.
In the mid-1980s, Punana Leo, a kindergarten, was established to raise preschool
children only in Hawaiian language. At the end of the 1980s, Kura Kaiapuni ,a school,
which teaches all subjects in Hawaiian, was established. According to December 2006
statistics, about 2000 children were educated primarily in the Hawaiian language.
With the introduction of the Hawaiian Renaissance in the 1970s, the state constitution
was changed and the Hawaiian language was included as an official language of the state.
Because at its inclusion, the Hawaiian language has seen wider usage and acceptancethrough childcare , traditional hula dance, sports, and music in Hawaii．
② Decline of Maori
In the early 19th century, there were British settlements which were visited bymissionaries and traders. This contact helped spread English in New Zealand, but many
local communities and used Maori as their primary language. However, during World War
II, emigration to cities continued for economic reasons. In the 1970s, Maori population inrural area reduced by 25%. The major people who migrated from rural areas to cities, losttheir connection with their communities. Due to this, they no longer used the Maori
language in their daily lives.
On September 14, in 1972, 30,000 signatures were submitted to the Diet by the Maorigroup. They petitioned the government to,”Guarantee opportunities for students who want to learn Maori language and culture “ .
This movement was successful. A Maori language law was established, the language wasgiven a status as an official language equivalent to English. This led to the establishment ofMaori language schools and requirement for all students to take Maori language classes
prior to graduatly. People can now hear Maori used on TV and the radio in New Zealand.

4. Discussion
People who live in Hokkaido need to have a desire to preserve Ainu language and as
advocate for this in order to preserve the language. Therefore it is important to spread Ainu

culture among Hokkaido people in order to increase interest and support for preservation.
From the Hawaii and New Zealand examples, there seems to a decline in the use of Ainu
language which may also explain in the luck of interest and preservation affairs. Increasing
opportunities related to the language will be the first way to tackle this problem.
For example, broadcasting radio in the Ainu language, playing Ainu music, andbroadcasting programs such as anime in the Ainu language could increase knowledge andinterest. Providing school education in the Ainu language is also an effective means toincrease engagement. By doing so, there is a possibility of continuing to use the Ainu
language in the future. In addition, text books with audio supplements enable people whohave difficulty learning the language directly to experience the Ainu language and also
leaves and a written and verbal record if preservation efforts are alternately not successful.
Most importantly, the diversity of languages is connected to the diversity of culture so theeffects to protect these cultural legacies is significant and must continue in the future.

5. References
津曲敏郎 （2009）『民族自身による言語の記録と研究』
https://eprints.lib.hokudai.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/2115/38284/1/1_1-8.pdf
佐藤知己 （2002）『アイヌ語の現状と復興』
http://www.ls-japan.org/modules/documents/LSJpapers/journals/142_sato.pdf
松原好次 （2006）『ハワイ語活性化運動の現況』
https://uec.repo.nii.ac.jp/index.php?action=repository_action_common_download&ite
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岡崎享恭 『テ・アタアランギとマオリ復興』
https://kindai.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_action_common_download&item_id=14942&item_no=1&attribute_id=40&file_no=1
杉原利治・大藪千穂 （2005）『マオリ教育の新しい潮流』
http://www.ed.gifu-u.ac.jp/~kyoiku/info/zinbun/pdf/530209.pdf