Language is a symbol of membership and identification, and thus carries in it the entire culture of a people. The Itelmen tongue is an ancient language on Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia. Some 1,500 Itelmens live in west central Kamchatka. Only 35 speakers remain, and most of them are Elders. Many of the indigenous peoples of Russia share the possibility of extinction of their languages.

The Itelmen people are in the process of taking action to revive and use their language. The Itelmen community has organized as the Union of Itelmen Families, and is working in cooperation with academics to study, record, and utilize the language to maintain their traditional occupations and culture.

A Cultural Centre has been established, and a newspaper is published. Classes are given in the communities, and educational materials are being developed. Now, the Itelmen people plan to use their language in today's media: video and radio, as well as print journalism.

Using their language, combined with those of other major cultures, will open new horizons for the Itelmen, many of whom live in small, relatively isolated centres. New organizational and communication skills will be left in the communities. Other language communities can also learn from the example of the Itelmen.