Narayan

Gurung Siklis, Nepal

The large influx of Nepali immigrants to New York over the last 15 years has brought many endangered Tibeto-Burman languages such as Chantyal, Mustangi, Thakali, Tamang, Seke, Ghale, Gurung, among others.

Gurung, referred to as Tamu-kyi by its speakers, is spoken in the area around Pokhara in the Himalayas. It is distantly related to Tibetan and even more distantly related to Chinese. The Gurung people made up a large portion of the famed Gurkha soldiers, who served in several armies. Narayan Gurung, pictured here with his wife and daughter in traditional Gurung dress, was one such soldier. Among other countries, he served in civil projects in Belize (a stone’s throw from James Lovell's hometown of Dangriga). Here in New York, he works at the United Nations and is one of the leaders of the Gurung community centered in Queens. He has worked tirelessly for the conservation of his culture through community organization and collaborating with linguists to further document his language.