A “wikiup” is an Indigenous word for “hut”, and has obviously been used in the name, Wikiupedia as a play on words for the famous online wiki-style encyclopedia, Wikipedia. However, Wikiupedia has been described as “ Google Maps, Wikipedia, Pokémon Go and a Canadian Heritage Minute, all rolled into one” (CBC, 2017, para. 1). This app was created by a member of the Muscowpetung First Nation in Saskatchewan. Unfortunately, the app seems to not have made it past the beta stage. In fact, I have clicked on several of the links that are directly associated with Wikiupedia and they seem to be suffering from link rot. Regardless, I thought that this is a wonderful idea that would act like Pokémon Go in that it would capture stories from Indigenous communities in a place-based way, ensuring that the user is connected to the land. Although it has not made it to market, the idea is there. But why has it not come to fruition? I feel that this might be something to ask when considering this type of technology for use in revitalizing Indigenous stories.
Markers like you would see in Google Maps. Photo: Garnet Tabacco/submitted by Adrian Duke.
References
CBC/Radio Canada. (2017, March 10). Tech entrepreneur Adrian Duke is building an augmented reality app to tell Indigenous stories | CBC Radio. CBCnews. https://www.cbc.ca/radio/day6/episode-328-cia-secrets-leaked-phyllis-diller-s-gag-file-virtual-indigenous-history-and-more-1.4015018/tech-entrepreneur-adrian-duke-is-building-an-augmented-reality-app-to-tell-indigenous-stories-1.4015037.
Devlin, M. (2017, February 15). This Augmented Reality App Tells Indigenous Stories in Canadian Cities. VICE. https://www.vice.com/en/article/8qk9w5/augmented-reality-vancouver-indigenous.
Thanks for sharing this Neal. It’s too bad that it couldn’t get past the beta stage as this would have been a great classroom activity where the class could explore their local environment in AR and connect where they live to Indigenous culture.
Thanks Juliano,
Yes, I agree that this would be beneficial for classroom learning, but out of the classroom of course. And that’s the most important point: getting the kids on the land, and learning from story through the land.
Perhaps within my Final Project I will weave in why this app didn’t come to fruition.
Neal