M4-P3 KAKWITENE VR- Language Revival and Retention

MoniGarr is an Onkwehone XR producer (amongst other titles) who asks a very important question: “As we decolonize, how do we teach and learn Kawkwitene language in a way that can minimize colonial values placed in our language?”

MoniGarr uses Ancient Intelligence (not Artificial Intelligence) to create a virtual garden embeded in the Kakwitene language.  The bright colours and flora are meant to replicate the “bright summer garden environment inspired by Iroquois Woodlands Raised Beadwork” (MoniGarr). The user enters the platform and has free navigation, there are no goals or quests to complete (like what can be found in more Western examples of gaming). Instead, one fly’s around almost like an insect onto “colorful pollen spores, which when flown into play audio recordings of Mohawk words. Users can repeat these words back to the VR system and improve their pronunciation” (MoniGarr). Users can repeat the words back through the head piece to work on pronunciation. What is interesting about this project is MoniGarr believe that language revival leads to a healthy way to “heal, overcome negative bias, and share a strong respectful message to All of Creation about each of our identities, values, and connections to our ancestors and homelands since time immemorial” (MoniGarr).

MoniGarr also conducted a small survey and concluded that new language learners were speaking with confidence within 3-7 minutes pers session. MoniGarr hopes that “our Onkwehonwehneha tactics, our source code, and software templates can be re-used by anyone working on similar projects” (MonGarr).

References 

MoniGarr. (2020). Kakwitene VR – First Person Scholar. http://www.firstpersonscholar.com/kakwitene-vr/

Greenwood, M.North Country at Work: Akwesasne’s Monica Peters designs virtual worlds. Retrieved from https://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/39534/20190918/north-country-at-work-akwesasne-s-monica-peters-designs-virtual-worlds