The government of Mexico City, once the center of the Aztec civilization, will begin efforts to rescue the indigenous Náhuatl language, an official source told EFE Saturday.

The head of the council for native peoples and districts of the Federal District (Mexico City), Fabiola Poblano, said that starting in 2008, Náhuatl will be studied as a regular subject for up to two hours a day in its 16 high schools and will be offered as a major at the University of Mexico City.

The intention is to meet the need to preserve, restore and develop everything related to Mexico´s original cultures.

Náhuatl was chosen since it was one of the chief indigenous languages in this country, the official said.

The source said that this educational program will teach Náhuatl supported by "all the knowledge of medicine, architecture, philosophy and mathematics of Mexico´s ancient societies."

Poblano said there are also plans to introduce the study of these indigenous cultures in public and private schools at the primary and middle-school level.

In Mexico, some 62 indigenous languages remain extant, among which the most important are Náhuatl, Maya and Mixtec.

According to the National Commission for the Development of Indigenous Peoples, between 2000 and 2005 the number of indigenous-language speakers diminished significantly. A study by the commission shows that in 2000 there were 2.4 million speakers of Náhuatl, 1.4 million of Maya, and 423,000 of Mixtec.

Five years later, the number had dropped to 1.3 million for Náhuatl, 759,000 for Maya and 410,000 for Mixtec.

In Mexico City, some 200,000 indigenous peoples keep their languages, traditions and customs alive.