Tag Archives: Indigenous language

Module 4: Post 1 – Artificial Intelligence and Indigenous Language Preservation and Revitalization

The article Indigenous Knowledge and Technology at MIT: “Is it Wise?” discusses various diverse domains such as the decolonization of space, re-imagining Indigenous architecture, and the role of community-based governance in the genetic modification of invasive species. One of the research projects called protocol-based Artificial Intelligence caught my attention. They briefly discuss how “Aspects of the Anishinaabe worldview, knowledge generation, and dissemination protocol to ask if ‘values might be articulated in a manner that retains their cultural integrity’ rather than having algorithms rely on translation from a high-resourced language.”

The concept of artificial intelligence and its use in preserving Indigenous languages has been used in New Zealand. The app Korero Maori was used to collect oral recordings in Indigenous languages. Part of the project’s achievements is restoring the native sound of the language and avoiding the assimilation of English as far as possible.

The article, How AI is helping revitalise indigenous languages discusses data sovereignty; two key phrases that stuck out to me include: “‘We know what it means losing sovereignty,’ . . . ‘Data is the new land. Having our land taken off us, and the experience of language loss in our family, we take data sovereignty very seriously.” Secondly, “If we want to use AI for good, rather than big tech gobbling up our data and selling it back to us, we should empower communities to lead their own platforms and solutions to help move their people forward.”

I think we are just getting started with how AI can be used to help preserve Indigenous languages, protocols need to be followed, and more work needs to be done moving forward.

Module 2 (Post 2) – Instructor’s Guide to Including TEK in Undergraduate Biology

This paper, which was published online just one month ago today, provides suggestions to biology instructors for including Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) into their courses.

From the abstract: “Suggestions include exploring other ways of knowing, teaching holistically, establishing a classroom culture of respect, explicitly including TEK, consulting Indigenous experts, incorporating Indigenous languages, and using other evidence-based teaching practices.” (Greenall & Bailey, 2022).

I was excited to find this resource and plan to share it with my colleagues.

Greenall, R.F., & Bailey, E.G. (2022). An instructor’s guide to including Traditional Ecological Knowledge in the undergraduate biology classroom. CBE-Life Sciences Education 21(4). https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.21-12-0340

M2 P2 How Will Extended Reality Impact Language Learning?

XR technology is a developing technology and when it comes to using XR for learning languages, the technology is not yet where it needs to be.  This article talks about how important AI and chatbot technology is to making a completely immersive environment and for XR technology to reach its potential as a language learning tool. Chatbot technology is advancing rapidly; however, that technology is focused on widely used languages such as English. Indigenous languages face an uphill battle to have AI chatbot technology developed for those languages, but not impossible.

https://www.extendedrealitylearning.com/how-will-xr-impact-language-training/

Module 2 – Post 4 – Musqueam Place Names Mapping Portal

Financially supported by the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage Aboriginal Languages Initiatives, the Musqueam Place Names Mapping Portal is the public portion of Musqueam’s recorded Place Names. Data is made available by the Musqueam Indian Band. As you click on points of the map you are greeted with illustrations or historical photography of the place, and (if available) audio of the name spoken in hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language. While browsing this online learning tool authored by Musqueam, I discovered:

  • A strong and clear disclaimer that the materials in this place names map is Musqueam Heritage, must be treated with respect, and no part of it can be transmitted, reproduced or stored in a retrieval system – so I have not included any images of this resource out of respect. 
  • There was a story lines section where you could follow a path of select place names in a purposeful order. The illustrations portrayed the cultural context of the places. For example, a gathering on Jericho beach with drumming, a potlatch, watching relatives arrive in canoes, etc.
  • Credit is given each artist, photographer, and audio clip.

I appreciate seeing another example of a learning tool that is Indigenous-developed. The intent on the opening page to state the digital boundaries we have as visitors interacting with the materials is an example of self-determination of an e-learning space.

The multimedia-based and interactive depiction of place names shows a holistic, multi-pronged approach to learning about the land, especially when relevant cultural traditions are included for context.

Module 2: Post 5: Digital Technology Innovations in Education in Remote First Nations

The research article Digital Technology in Education in Remote First Nations  Beaton and Carpenter (2016) “explores how community members living in remote First Nations in Northwestern Ontario are using digital technologies for informal and formal learning experiences” (p. 42) through a settler colonial lens. The article discusses how technology is a double-edged sword, as technology can be used as a tool to maintain and uphold colonial structures. For example, the article discusses how many Indigenous languages are endangered, yet technology and the internet are presented through a lens of Western culture and the English language. This results in Indigenous people further immersing themselves in Western culture, distancing themselves from traditional languages and knowledge. On the other hand, the article highlights the importance of providing Indigenous people with access to finding local Indigenous resources that are specific to their communities. Many Indigenous communities use technology to protect and preserve Indigenous languages (p. 45).

This article provides a direct connection to my research paper, as it provides in-depth background information analyzing how technology is used to uphold colonization as well as how technology can be used to support decolonization work.

References

Beaton, B., & Carpenter, P. (2016). Digital Technology Innovations in Education in Remote First Nations. In Education, 22(1), 42–60. https://doi.org/10.37119/ojs2016.v22i1.266

M2 P1 Indigenous Digital Skills Training Program Which Teaches Kids How to Bring Indigenous Cultural Knowledge, History and Language to Life Through Augmented Reality, Minecraft and Python Coding

I find this idea of a training program that enables Indigenous and non-Indigenous kids to connect with and learn from elders about cultural knowledge, history and language, while learning digital skills in technologies like augmented reality, animation and coding to be fascinating. I see this as a potential to not only teach children valuable digital skills while simultaneously learning from elders about Indigenous culture, history and language, but also as a way to build up XR language learning content that could help teach learners down the road. For example, I attended a Secwepemc language immersion school called Chief Atahm School and if a training program like this was included in the curriculum, the students could be contributing to Secwépemc language learning content while also gaining valuable skills that can help them in a growing area of employment. Some of the students that go through the training program and have learned Secwepemctsin at Chief Atahm School would have the skills to continue to work in language revitalization using XR technology after they have graduated high school.  This could be part of creating the infrastructure to develop the required skills and talent to produce XR language learning content to help preserve and revitalize Secwépemc language and culture.

 

https://indigitalschools.com/impact/

M1 P2 Teaching an Indigenous Language Using Social VR at Georgian College

As a person teaching an Indigenous language, I find the potential for VR and XR to be used as tools for teaching Indigenous languages to be quite fascinating. I think there is a lot of potential to enhance the learning experiences of students by using these XR technologies. In person language classes are a great way to learn; however, students interested in learning their Indigenous language are often not located near where the classes are held. XR technologies offer a potential to bring a learning experience that is more tangible to the online learner. As XR technology improves, there may be potential to teach plant names or place names while the learner is in a Mixed Reality environment that allows the learner to ‘see’ and ‘interact’ with the plants and or place names. The article below shows how Georgian College is now using VR to teach Anishnaabemowin. The youtube video link is from the Immersive Learning Research Network World Conference 2021.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1ryQS0QpTQ

Teaching an Indigenous Language Using Social VR at Georgian College

M1 P1 How AI is Helping Revitalize Indigenous Languages

This article is one example of Indigenous people are using technology to help preserve their language. The Maori people are using AI and machine learning as a way to automate the transcription of thousands of hours of Maori language archives to enhance access to Maori media. They aim to bring the Maori language and other Indigenous languages to voice operated digital assistants like Siri.  An additional point of importance in the article is the call for data sovereignty for all Indigenous cultures.  The non-profit media organization Te Hiku, the organization behind the development of the app using AI and machine learning, states that “Data is the new land. Having had our land taken off us, and the experience of language loss in our family, we take data sovereignty very seriously.”

https://www.itu.int/hub/2022/08/ai-indigenous-languages-maori-te-reo/

 

M1 P2 Five Ideas to Support Indigenous Languages in Canada

As a language teacher, I love the idea of incorporating more Indigenous language learning into the classroom. This video is short, sweet and to the point.  It provides 5 easy ways of supporting Indigenous language revitalization in Canada. As we have read in this week’s readings, language is an important part of Indigenous culture and knowledge.

The main suggestions for support from the video are :

  • Learn a greeting and a response from an Indigenous language
  • Learn more Indigenous phrases and words through smart phone apps (such as First Voices)
  • Learn the names of local mountains, lakes, towns and rivers in a local Indigenous language (I hope to to do this with my students next week!)
  • Watch a movie or TV show in an Indigenous language
  • Listen to artists in an Indigenous language

These five suggestions remind me of the following First Peoples Principle of Learning :

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8Zf-Id0SQ4&t=10s