Dr. Vijay A. D'Souza

Director, NEILAC

Associate Fellow in the Study of Endangered Languages, Campion Hall, University of Oxford

Director of the North Eastern Institute of Language and Culture (NEILAC), Guwahati, Associate Fellow in the Study of Endangered Languages, Campion Hall, University of Oxford and Academic and Research Guide of the Aka (Hrusso) Language Academy, Arunachal Pradesh. He obtained his doctorate in linguistics from University of Oxford, UK in 2021. He has worked with the Hrusso indigenous community of Arunachal Pradesh for over 25 years, contributing to the development of orthography and revival of the Hrusso language. A member of the Jesuit order, he continues the Jesuit tradition of deep respect for indigenous cultures and languages, and seeks to learn from and collaborate with linguistic communities of North East India.

vdsouza@neilac.org.in

NEILAC, Guwahati

@vijaylinguist

Working with Aka (Hrusso) Indigenous Community

1999-2015

First Steps

My association with the Aka (Hrusso) people and their language began in 1999 when I was a Jesuit trainee at the newly established St. Xavier's School in Palizi, Arunachal Pradesh. I was fascinated by the complex sounds and the rhythmic beauty of Aka (Hrusso), the language of Palizi village, and began learning it. Soon, I was involved in the publication of the first-ever printed book in the language.

The Aka people received the first book with great enthusiasm. Subsequently, with the help of many Aka friends and collaborators, I designed Hrusso orthography, wrote textbooks, songs, stories, and prayers, and promoted Hrusso literacy among children and adults.

2015-2020

Hrusso Language Documentation

I documented Hrusso Aka language with a team of enthusiastic Hrusso native speakers and with the help of an Individual Graduate Scholarship grant from the Endangered Languages Documentation Programme (ELDP). We now have more than 150 hours of spoken language data in the form of audio and video files, archived at the Endangered Languages Archive (ELAR).

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2017-2021

The Hrusso Literature Team

The Hrusso Literature Team was formed in 2017 under the aegis of the Hrusso apex council for disseminating the newly approved orthography and to create new literary works in the language. I was asked to lead the team till the members were sufficiently trained.

2021-Present

Hrusso Language Academy

In a meeting held at Bhalukpong in August, 2021, members of the Hrusso Literature Team formed a new body, the Hrusso Language Academy with Mr. Dorjee K. Jebisow as its Chairman and Ms. Hema Delusow as the general secretary. I currently serve as the Academic and Research Guide to the Academy whose mandate is to plan and execute language promotion, curriculum development, teacher training, literature development and all such language-related initiatives.