This is actually a video presentation sponsored by the UBC Irving K. Barber Learning Centre. This presentation explores a tool kit to “digitize” cultural materials to make resources available to different Indigenous communities. The toolkit was an initiative based on the lack of access as well as the lack of resources available for Indigneous communities, and specifically, Indigenous language resources. Digitization refers to the process of converting cultural materials into an accessible digital form and archive. The University acknowledges that this is a “living” toolkit and will have to adapt as it is continued to be used and interacted with in Indigenous communities. The presentation also highlights the rapid change of technology (for example the rapid irrelevancy of the cassette tape) and is attempting to build a kit that is “meant to last”. I also enjoyed Dustin Rivers’ presentation. He is a member of the Squamish nation and works directly in language revitalization. Dustin explains his own experiences with his language, his experience of learning the technology and the benefits or potential benefits (‘excitement’) that technology can bring. As much as technology can be about connection of communities, this presentation really drove home the idea to analyze, listen to and learn from the recordings of the elder and past. For example, Dustin explained that one thing he learnt was the difference in caliber (power) of how songs are sung now compared to in the past.
As mentioned in previous posts, it’s important to me to consider and make efforts to explore the impacts and efforts of Coast Salish nations as that is my local, place-based context.
Lam, M., Lawson, G., Khelsilem, Rivers, D., & Laszlo, K. (2012, June 25). The Indigitization Tool Kit for the First Nations Community Digitization Projects