Nearly 20 years ago, the powerful motion picture The Mission, starring Robert De Niro and Jeremy Irons, was released, bringing worldwide exposure to the Guarani aboriginal people. Based on historical events from the 1700s and set in Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina, the film was simultaneously moving and inspiring, yet also a disturbing presentation of how the Guarani Indians found themselves at the epicenter of a geo-political, religious conflict between the Crown of Portugal, Spain, and the missionary Jesuits. The picture ultimately ends with a spellbinding scene in which three naked, surviving Guarani children board a small canoe to start a new life elsewhere after their community is completely destroyed by European troops. For several centuries, the Guarani, whose language formed the cultural foundation of Paraguay, have significantly decreased in numbers and there is a real danger of their culture and language being completely lost. Indeed, the Ava Guarani aboriginal group numbers approximately 2,000. (1) In order to raise more awareness of the important cultural contributions made by the Guarani and to help preserve their unique identity and heritage, the authors highlight the vital work that is being accomplished through Facultad de Lenguas Vivas / Institute of Guarani Linguistics in Asuncion, Paraguay.
