Kouri-Vini, also known as Louisiana Creole, is a language native to Louisiana, spoken primarily in the state, but also along the Gulf Coast between Texas and Mississippi. It is a critically endangered Creole language currently spoken by fewer than 10,000 people. The language emerged in the 18th century, from the confluence of languages arriving in the region from West Africa (Senegambia, Dahomey, and the Congo) by way of those enslaved and brought to Louisiana by the French regime, as well as France and Canada (Québec and Acadie). Kouri-Vini developed through this merging linguistic landscape, mainly lexified by French, but also Wolof, Mande, Ewe, and other West African languages, as well as Indigenous languages, such as Choctaw, of the lower Mississippi River and Atchafalaya Basin regions. However, because of its connections to plantations and slavery, many people stopped speaking the language for fear of being shamed. Kouri-Vini became further stigmatized when the 1921 Louisiana State constitution labeled English as the sole language of instruction in schools. Today, Kouri-Vini is making a grass-roots resurgence due to the push for language revitalization by Louisiana Creoles who are descendants of its first native speakers.
This project, led by a group of Louisiana Creoles, entails better supporting the Kouri-Vini-speaking community by providing more resources for language learning through the development of a website and audio-visual database.