Miskitu Language and Culture
- Learn the indigenous language Miskitu
- Earn 6 hours of academic credit
- FLAS-eligible program
This FLAS-eligible, University of Kansas summer study abroad program offers undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to learn Miskitu, an indigenous language, spoken by nearly 200,000 indigenous Miskitu people on the Honduran and Nicaraguan Caribbean Coast, and learn about the indigenous and Afro-descendant cultures. Students will further learn about the language and culture by participating in cultural activities and excursions to other cities. Honduras has a lot to offer, but because it is a developing country, students should be prepared to face unexpected challenges that come with developing countries, such as periodic lack of hot water or electricity. Given the touristy nature of Roatan, this may not be as prevalent.
Honduras
Roatan, the largest Honduran Bay Island, is and international tourist and scuba-diving destination that is rich in culture history. The Paya Indians were the original inhabitants of Roatan who traded with the Maya on the mainland. The British dominated the Bay Islands during the colonial period and it became a haven for pirates like Sir Henry Morgan and Blackbeard. Roatan became a British colony for a short time before Honduras claimed sovereignty over the Bay Islands in 1861.
Modern-day Roatan is culturally and linguistically diverse, home to the Indigenous Miskitu; Afro-Indigenous Garifuna, English-speaking Kriol and Isleno, and mestizo peoples, along with North American tourists. While the Miskitu and Garifuna speak their own Indigenous languages, the Kriols and Islenos speak Bay Island English. English speakers once held the majority but today, Spanish-speaking mestizos from the mainland are taking over the island. They are the dominant most expansive culture and population group, and Spanish is the main language used in businesses and on the streets. Standard English is increasingly more common due to the constant influx of expats and tourists.
Miskitu Migration
Miskitu (a Misumalpan, Macro-Chibchan language) is a Central American Indigenous language spoken by 200,000 people who live along the Honduran and Nicaraguan Caribbean or Mosquito Coast (La Moskitia in Spanish). An estimated 50,000 more Miskitu-speakers have left their Moskitia rainforest homeland in search of economic opportunities, while also escaping climate change and security issues. Miskitu migrants have created new identities and communities in towns and cities throughout Honduras and Nicaragua, and in Costa Rica, Panama, and the U.S.
Five to six thousand Miskitu people from the Honduran Moskitia recently have migrated to Roatan, where they work and live throughout the Island. The largest populations of Miskitu people live in the towns of Sandy Bay, Coxen Hole, Los Fuertes, French Harbor, and Oakridge. Men work on fishing boats, in construction, and as security guards, while women find employment as cooks, housekeepers, and roaming beach masseuses and hair braiders.
As relative newcomers to Roatan, the Miskitu people—who are both poor and Indigenous—occupy the lowest position in the Island’s socioeconomic hierarchy. They live in hidden colonies and barrios with limited access to water and electricity. Roatan Miskitu people commonly experience racism and prejudice and have little access to social services, including health and education. The Roatan Miskitu people have no political representation and mainly organize at churches with services held in the Miskitu language. Protestant Moravian Miskitu pastors have become de facto community leaders and gatekeepers.
Six hours of undergraduate or graduate credit are granted by the University of Kansas upon successful completion of the program. The language courses meet Monday-Friday and the independent research course meets twice weekly. Courses are taught by KU staff and native Miskitu instructors. Classes will be held at the Roatan Marine Park in the West End village, the Insituto Nacional de Formación Profesional (INFOP) in Coxen Hole, and hotels.
KU Latin American Studies majors: the courses will fulfill upper-division elective requirements.
KU Indigenous Studies in Latin America (ISLA) minors: the courses will count towards the minor.
The Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship is given by U.S. universities that have FLAS funding.
FLAS-funded students will enroll in two of the following 3 credit hour language courses, depending on previous Miskitu study.
- LAC 302/602 Topics in Latin American Area Studies: Spoken Miskitu I
- LAC 302/602 Topics in Latin American Area Studies: Spoken Miskitu II
- LAC 302/602 Topics in Latin American Area Studies: Spoken Miskitu III
- LING 575 The Structure of Miskitu
- ANTH 502 Topics in Anthropological Linguistics
Non-FLAS funded students will enroll in one 3 credit hour language course and one 3 credit hour independent study course from the courses below.
The Miskitu language courses will teach students the linguistic skills needed to communicate with speakers of both Honduran and Nicaraguan Miskitu. The program design highlights Miskitu language as a window into their culture and world view.
- LAC 302/602 Topics in Latin American Area Studies: Spoken Miskitu
- LING 575 The Structure of Miskitu
Students in independent studies courses will learn about ethnographic research methods and other topics related to Miskitu culture and society. Students will complete a field-based ethnographic research project as a group, on Miskitu migration to Roatan.
- LAC 302/602 Topics in Latin American Area Studies: Independent Research on the Miskito Coast
- ANTH 491 Study Abroad Topics: People and Cultures of the Miskitu Coast
Students will stay in shared lodging. During the first part of the program it's planned that the group will stay in a hotel in the West End, then several weeks in Coxen Hole, before staying the last couple of weeks in Oakridge. On weekdays breakfast and lunch will be provided and on weekends breakfast will be provided.
During the program it's planned that the group will travel to major towns in Roatan where Miskitu people live and work, including Sandy Bay, West End, West End Bay, Coxen Hole, Los Fuertes, French Harbor, Oakridge, and smaller settlements. Planned excursions include snorkeling at the reefs, seeing the mangroves, and visiting other beaches and islands, such as Paya Bay, Pidgeon Key, Cayos Cochinos, St. Helene, and Utila. Other excursions include the chocolate factory, zoo, museums, cultural centers, Cruise ships docks, the Garifuna community Punta Gorda, where heritage tourism flourishes, and Crawfish Rock, a Kriol community currently resisting the building of a nearby ZEDE (Zone for Employment and Economic Development) or model city, inspired by Free Trade Zones.
SAGE is dedicated to creating international engagement opportunities that meet the needs of all our students and providing resources to support you through the process of studying abroad. Study abroad is achievable for students of all identities including our BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ students, students with disabilities, and students with religious/non-religious viewpoints. Before selecting a program, consider how your identities may impact your experience abroad in unique ways and talk with your Program Coordinator about any program-specific concerns. Students with documented disabilities should discuss any accommodation needs with their Program Coordinator early in the planning process.
Check our Identity Abroad page and resources listed below for information specific to you and other students who may be on your program.
Open to undergraduate and graduate students from accredited U.S. colleges or universities. Minimum 2.5 GPA. Exceptions considered after submission of a petition. No Spanish proficiency is required to participate.
Coming soon
Laura H. Herlihy’s research has been with the bi-national (Honduras and Nicaragua) Miskitu peoples since the 1990s and she speaks their language fluently. She led this program in 2019.