English and Makushi
Most Makushi people -- numbering about 9,000 in Guyana and 15,000 just over the border in Brazil, grow up speaking a fairly limited vocabulary of both Makushi and English (or Portuguese).
Few can read or write Makushi, which has existed in written form for little more than a generation. English is the official language of Guyana; at present there is no sanctioned bilingual instruction.
Another important role for the Yupukari library therefore, is to act as a repository and resource for Makushi language and knowledge materials, complementing the ongoing efforts of the Makushi Research Unit and the Guyana Book Foundation to produce a Makushi-English dictionary and other bilingual tools.