The loss of hundreds of languages that have already passed into history is an intellectual catastrophe in every way comparable in magnitude to the ecological catastrophe we face today as the earth's tropical forests are swept by fire.
Linguists have an obligation to give back to the communities in which they work.
Language endangerment and the human value of linguistic diversity. Hale, Ken, Michael Krauss, Lucille J. Watahomigie, Akira Y. Yamamoto, Colette Craig, LaVerne Masayevsa Jeanne, and Nora C. England. Zepeda, Ofelia and Jane H. Hill. The condition of Native American languages in the United States. For information about some things you can do about language endangerment, visit the site of the Endangered Language Fund .