Depok, W. Java. In classrooms across Indonesia, children still sing, joke, and tell stories in their mother tongues, but many of the country’s indigenous languages are at risk of disappearing in the digital age.

Hundreds of indigenous languages are spoken across Indonesia's vast archipelago. Many of these languages, however, face growing pressure from globalization, urbanization, and the dominance of Indonesian and foreign languages.

At the 2026 National Mother Tongue Festival in Depok on Monday, the Education Ministry said indigenous languages must remain actively used by younger generations rather than survive merely as cultural artifacts.

Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Atip Latipulhayat warned that indigenous languages could gradually disappear if they are confined to textbooks or taught only as formal subjects in schools.

“If indigenous languages only exist in books or classrooms without being used in daily learning activities, eventually they will become memories of the past,” Atip said during the festival, which forms part of Indonesia’s National Education Day celebrations.

The government is encouraging schools to use indigenous languages more actively in teaching and daily communication so children remain familiar with their mother tongues from an early age.

Indonesian authorities are also turning to technology to help preserve indigenous languages. Atip said indigenous languages should be integrated into large language models and digital applications so younger generations continue using them in the digital era.

“Indigenous languages must also enter the AI ecosystem so they continue to be used by younger generations,” he said.

The push reflects Indonesia’s broader effort to expand language preservation beyond cultural programs and into technology.

According to 2024 data from the Language Development and Fostering Agency, Indonesia has 718 indigenous languages, but only 18 are considered safe. Another 21 are classified as vulnerable, three are in decline, 29 are endangered, eight are in critical condition, and five have already gone extinct.

Among the languages nearing extinction are Retta and Nedebang in East Nusa Tenggara, as well as Meher, Hulung, Samasuru, and Saponi.

The five-day festival, held from May 22 to 26 in Depok, brought together 137 participants from 36 provinces representing 105 regional languages and dialects. The festival was attended by government officials, educators, literacy activists, and regional language centers from across Indonesia. 

The event featured traditional storytelling, speeches, songs, and creative performances in local languages. Officials said the festival marked the culmination of the government’s Indigenous Language Revitalization Program, which includes teacher training, curriculum development, school mentoring, and language festivals at school and provincial levels.

One participant, junior high school student Rahmi Oktavia, performed the traditional Onduo song from Riau and said speaking indigenous languages should be seen as a source of pride rather than embarrassment.

“By continuing to speak them, we help keep our cultural heritage alive,” she said.

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