Explain how indigenous languages have been under threat from primary economic activities in theAmericas since the 1970s.

Indigenous languages in the Americas have faced significant threats from primary economic activities such as agriculture, mining, and logging since the 1970s. Here are some key points to understand this issue:

1. Economic Development: The push for economic development in the Americas has often prioritized extraction of resources and agricultural expansion over the preservation of indigenous cultures and languages. The expansion of industries often encroaches on indigenous lands, leading to displacement and loss of community cohesion.

2. Globalization: The global market demands that regions exploit their natural resources for economic gain. This drive has marginalized indigenous communities, forcing them to adopt dominant languages (usually Spanish, Portuguese, or English) in place of their native tongues to participate in the economy.

3. Cultural Assimilation: As indigenous people integrate into mainstream economic systems, there is often pressure to conform to the dominant culture, which can lead to the alienation from traditional practices, including language use. The lack of institutional support for indigenous languages exacerbates this phenomenon.

4. Education Systems: Many education systems in the Americas do not incorporate indigenous languages into their curricula, leading to a decline in language transmission across generations. Children are often taught in the dominant language, resulting in a preference for and eventual neglect of their native languages.

5. Environmental Degradation: Primary economic activities like mining and intensive farming have led to environmental degradation, which disrupts the traditional ways of life for many indigenous peoples. This disruption further diminishes opportunities for transmitting languages linked to those traditions.

In summary, since the 1970s, primary economic activities in the Americas have threatened indigenous languages by promoting cultural assimilation, displacing communities, marginalizing traditional practices, and disrupting the transmission of languages to younger generations.