ABSTRACT
Particularly over the last 25 years, a good deal of attention has been paid to the retention and revitalization of Indigenous languages. But why should we preserve Indigenous languages? One part of the answer is improved health and well-being. There are numerous anecdotal accounts of such links, but recently some studies are emerging that provide more substantial evidence of improvements in physical health (e.g., reduced risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease) as well as mental health (e.g., lower incidence of Indigenous youth suicide). In this chapter it will also be demonstrated that learning an Indigenous language can lead to a substantial downturn in racism. For this and other reasons, Indigenous languages can be seen as being good for your health, not just for Indigenous people but for non-Indigenous people as well.
