British newspaper The Independent today carried a prominent opinion piece from Survival’s director, Stephen Corry. Since former BBC man Michael Buerk put his foot in it, global debate on the use of terms like ‘primitive’ to describe tribal peoples has reached a new pitch.

From this morning’s Independent piece:

“What’s all the fuss about? Does calling tribal people “primitive”, or even “Stone Age” or “savage”, really matter? Isn’t this just another example of political correctness gone mad? In fact, it has nothing to do with political correctness at all. The reason the use of terms like “primitive” to describe tribal peoples is so important, and so dangerous, is because they lead directly to the destruction of tribal peoples.”

Meanwhile, The Guardian and The Observer papers now warn against the use of terms like ‘primitive’ and ’stone-age’ in their renowned style guide.

The Guardian reports that in the world today, ‘…there are around 2,500 languages at risk, including more than 500 considered “critically endangered” and 199 which have fewer than 10 native speakers.’

‘A once healthy language dies because its speakers shift allegiances to that of a bigger, more powerful group of people and, while this can happen through political pressure and military force, it is now most often brought about by the flood of migration from the country to the city.’

Or, as with the language of the Akuntsu, a community of just six people, human massacre and land theft will also consign a language to history.