FOUNDER
THE QUECHUA PROJECT
I put together artist, linguist, and project management talent to innovate at the intersections of American Indian diaspora, youth, language research, and digital transformation. The Quechua Project is a community initiative based in metro Washington, D.C.
ABOUT THE QUECHUA PROJECT
The Quechua Project (TQP) is about a movement. Language is a powerful factor in a people’s survival, and reversing the tide of American Indian language loss is a bold act of return. We are still here, and we see that a different kind of future is possible.
TQP supports the intergenerational survival of Quechua language within the large Bolivian-American community of the D.C. metro area. We do this by motivating Millennial and Generation Z members to increase their Quechua use, recognition of its importance, and their association of it with their future success in the U.S. We ignite their passion and move them to action.
TQP carves out digital space where Indigenous youth and so many others can relate, and applies research to make a difference on the ground.
CHANGING THE NARRATIVE
Read the latest story I wrote for Atiy, a multimedia series highlighting young people in our community who are moving and shaking things.
PIONEERING RESEARCH
Our survey, “Quechua and Native Languages in the Bolivian DMV,” comes in Quechua, English, and Spanish. For accessbility for native Quechua speakers, we included Quechua audio.
BRIDGING & HEALING GENERATIONS
“Thanks to the @quechuaproject I'm motivated to relearn my Quechua [from my mom].”
— Nelcy