Speaking for a State

Abstract

Abstract Can Indigenous language use transform public speaking in state-sponsored events? This chapter examines how speakers use greetings to showcase Kichwa and Indigeneities for others. Even though Indigenous language greetings indicate a simplification of linguistic diversity, there is vast complexity to their use. Directors of the school system routinely use standardized Kichwa greetings during public speaking events, which brings Kichwa into state-sponsored communication and marks the Ecuadorian state as intercultural. Adding Kichwa use to conversational openings upholds the parameters of institutional talk by maintaining conventions of respect and politeness for those who do not understand. Yet, standardized greetings, instead of consisting of “traditional” speech styles, curtail Kichwa and make it analogous to Spanish as used in institutional settings. Such greeting has become emblematic of a state-sponsored register of Kichwa and is associated with the state-authorized citizens who use it, contributing to grievances with the school system, the movement for bilingual education, and its coordinators.