It’s Tetum and Portuguese, Not The Other Way Around

The Constitution of Timor Leste states that “Tetum and Portuguese shall be the official languages in the Democratic Republic of East Timor. ” with Indonesian and English  being “working languages within civil service side by side with

official languages as long as deemed necessary.”

However, go onto any article giving basic information on Timor-Leste, LibGuides, The US Department of State, Cambridge, etc. and you’ll be presented with the phrase “The official languages of East Timor are Portuguese and Tetum”.

This may seem like a frivolous issue, but the importance of national languages goes beyond a minor mistake on websites.

The organizing of national languages in Ireland is of utmost importance, so much so that the constitution of Ireland differentiates between the two, saying “The Irish language as the national language is the first official language. The English language is recognized as a second official language.” And while less than two percent of the country speaks their first official language, it remains an integral part of the culture of Ireland.

When news articles, travel websites, and online atlases get the two languages mixed up, they’re unknowingly reinforcing the idea that tetum is by one way or another, lesser than Portuguese.

Many well-developed Western European countries and regions, like Ireland, Wales, Brittany, and Basque Country are fighting tooth and nail to keep their cultural heritage alive. In Timor-Leste, that culture is already a part of the daily lives of every Timorian. Let's not lose that just because some believe that we must prioritize Portuguese or English to get ahead economically.

Regarding that point, let’s dispel some myths regarding the fact that developing countries must speak a European language and act in a way that is conducive to Europeans. Cultural tourism, or tourism related to experiencing ways of life different from your own, is expected to have a compound annual growth rate of 14.3% from 2014 to 2031. 

What the current Timor-Leste travel board gets wrong is that they are hedging their bets on ecotourism. And while that is a great way to get foreigners into the country, not everyone is interested in hiking in a national park or surfing on the Timorian Sea. Not only is it not accessible to everyone, but an overreliance and overuse of ecotourism can damage protected natural areas.

Tourists can hike anywhere, surf anywhere, and go down a zipline anywhere. They don’t need to pay the outrageous price and the sometimes two-day flight to have the same experience they could have in their home country. So, show them something that they can’t find in Costa Rica, Utah, or Tasmania. Show them traditional architecture, show them this, show them Ikan Pepes and Batar Daan,  show them Timorese culture.

This is more than just a small spelling mistake. If Timor-Leste wants to grow economically, we should embrace our culture, not shun it.