Lokono is a critically endangered Northern Arawakan language spoken in the pericoastal
areas of the Guianas (Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana). Today, in every
Lokono village there remains only a small number of elderly native speakers. However,
in spite of the ongoing language loss, across the three Guianas as well as in the Netherlands,
where a number of expatriate Lokono live, language awareness is increasing and
measures are being taken to develop the language. This paper employs the UNESCO’s
language vitality framework to assess the Lokono situation. I give particular attention
to the state-of-the-art in language development activities, including language documentation.
The aim of this paper is to provide the readers with an updated picture of the
Lokono sociolinguistic context in order to facilitate future work between the Lokono
and the academic community.