This article informs what kinds of text, speech, and image technologies have been developed, and would be feasible to develop in order to revitalize about 60 Indigenous languages in Canada. Researchers in this article meticulously evaluated previous feats and deliberate future achievements. They assessed the feasibility of text, speech, image, and educational technologies for Indigenous language in spite of lack of data available.
Language is more than a means of communication; it is an identity.
There are 6000-7000 languages spoken by indigenous peoples around the world but indigenous languages extinction is going unnoticed. So many people who desire to revitalize indigenous languages are trying to promote and help make it more accessible to people by using some playing cards that double as a language matching game.
This radio tells us how indigenous languages are learned and grown and how challenging it is to maintain. We know some best ways to learn a language such as playing games, immersion programs, etc, but those are not enough to revitalize and flourish endangered indigenous language. In order to help reclaim and revitalize endangered languages, not only individual efforts, also government or community-based funding should be accompanied that make it more accessible to learn the various languages by using technology. Technology can play a role as the bridge of generation gap as well as geographic distances.
This video shows how the Japanese Government destroyed Hangul(Korean language) during the Japanese colonial period. All classes at all educational institutions were conducted in Japanese, and Korean language became a local dialect. Koreans have made efforts to protect the Korean language through various methods of resistance against to Japanese atrocities. Koreans organized a secret society and pushed for a campaign to protect our language. As the movement to protect Hangul became active, however, Japan eliminated all magazines and newspapers made in Hangul. Believing that protecting the language is to protect the spirit of the people and the identity of the nation, thanks to the sacrifice of many people, Hangul was able to survive.
We can consider what efforts and spirit we need to make in order to preserve and vitalize indigenous language through this video clip.
Reference
tvN인사이트. (2020, Feburary 25). 해방 후 ,1달만에 한글로 교과서를 가질 수 있었던 이유. [Video]. Retrieved from YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OHuFCjaEK8&ab_channel=ohforsatanssake
Say It First is an Canadian organization which helps to Modernize, Expand, Revitalize and Localize Indigenous languages in Canada by connecting communities and using technology. There are various resources for children such as children books written in Native languages and children’s shows accompanied by books and language lessons. Its vision is to to produce more speakers today than existed yesterday, to reverse the tide of language loss, and to help with language vitality so the Elders can spend time passing on culture.
Here is the YouTube link for materials for line-up of children shows.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdYNTpLXpTuo4g1MRgzl7jQ/videos?view=0&sort=dd&shelf_id=0
example:
Find it here: https://www.sayitfirst.ca/
There are 7000 languages spoken around the world, but the tragic thing is that we are losing so much of this linguistic diversity. All the languages differ from one another in all kinds of ways such as vocabularies, intonations, structures, etc. Does the language we speak shaper the way we think? There was an example of an experiment from an aboriginal community in Australia. People in the aboriginal community live in Pompuraaw at Cape York has a dramatically different way of thinking about time and direction since they don’t have the expression “left” and “right”. In this Ted talk, the speaker “Lera Boroditsky” presents several examples of how languages shapes the way we think and the importance of language that creates and thinking differently. This video clip lead me to think about the importance of preserving endangered indigenous language in order to revitalize indigenous culture as well as their language.
TED. (2018, May 2).How language shapes the way we think | Lera Boroditsky. [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved June 18,2021 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKK7wGAYP6k&ab_channel=TEDTED
This article considers the effect of technology on Indigenous language learning and teaching as well as technological solutions based on communication with contextual understanding. Findings indicate that technology has wide and mostly positive applications in language learning and teaching, that the benefits of those applications remain consistent across communities regardless of size and geographic location, and that new and innovative uses of technology are being adopted to support language revitalization efforts. Overall, the study underscores the importance of context in making grounded decisions about technology as a component of contemporary language revitalization efforts.
Reference
Galla, C. K. (2016). Indigenous language revitalization, promotion, and education: Function of digital technology. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 29(7), 1137-1151.
In this TED talk, Kwak’wala language teacher Joye Walkus passionately shows the cultural and spiritual significance of saving indigenous languages and culture for future generations.
Like she mentioned in the talk, just a collection of words cannot represents a language. So teaching and learning indigenous language must be more difficult than we expect because the traditional language is losing their daily life contexts. Since residential schools caused the extermination of indigenous culture and language, now it is endangered and limitations exists to revitalize this language. After I watch this TED talk, I could realize why language should be preserved and flourish. She wants to hear more of her language and she wants us to hear more of her language. She strongly insists this language has to survive, for the past, today, and our future.
And I hope there must be feasible and practical ways to help this language to survive and flourish by technology with indigenous education.
The first episode of the third season of the Canadian television show “Anne with an E” features a new First Nation character named Ka’kwet. Ka’kwet teaches Anne some language of hers and shows her life too. Anne is fascinated by Ka’kwet and writes a short newspaper article about her, but not everyone in Anne’s village welcomes Ka’kwet.
Ka’kwet was told about a residential school by one of Anne’s neighbors, and she gets on the train with a puffy dream. After a while, Ka’kwet’s appearance gets totally different from the past. Long hair got shortened, and I could see her being forced to sing and speak in English. In addition, Ka’kwet, whose name is changed to Hanna is forced to assimilate culturally into Christian churches and governments.
This short video reveals the tragedy of the indigenous people in North America, and I think it is a very encouraging phenomenon that the show is being aired on TV, the mainstream media which can acknowledge crucial facts on First Nation.
commnets
This is a story that needed to be told. I was ignorant to residential schools, at least how bad they were, before watching this season. I wish we could have gotten more from this wonderful show. It is heartbreaking that this storyline likely didn’t have a happy ending. -Jen321able4-
being indigenous myself, i’m glad to see that the real and dark stories of canada’s residential schools are being shared and brought to life by being shown to audiences such as anne with an e’s. my parents both attended residential school, and i’m only 13. ka’kewt’s story hit close to home. i’m so glad that our stories and history is being acknowledged. i really wish that they didn’t cancel anne with an e. -Aryanna Charles-
this arc or storyline was so heartbreaking, i couldnt watch it without tears in my eyes not because im sad but because im angry. its very frustrating to see the catholic white people be like that and as a catholic myself, i could never imagine for them to be that disgusting. it was really frustrating to watch and made me uneasy but i realized that the writers and producers were brave enough to introduce a storyline like that. man fuck netflix for not renewing this show… -hawoo-
Ohforsatanssake. [2020, May 20]. Ka’kwet’s story[Anne with an E]. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OHuFCjaEK8&ab_channel=ohforsatanssake
This website provides many of proven resources and archival documents in visual, audio and video files. Also a lot of new materials, useful for general information and for educators, has been offered in the Virtual Museum of Metis History and Culture. The astonishing part of this virtual museum is this is an evolving website, meaning it is being updated continuously. Many of archival materials are donated by lots of people and institutes for the museum. I am so happy to find out this website that can allow ones who are ignorant of histories and cultures of First Nation to learn who they are or how they live. Especially, this website offers many other archive and museum websites as well as some websites related to indigenous culture and history.
http://www.metismuseum.ca/index.php
Image source: CBC NEWs
“The news that remains were found at the former Kamloops residential school breaks my heart – it is a painful reminder of that dark and shameful chapter of our country’s history. I am thinking about everyone affected by this distressing news. We are here for you.”
– Justin Trudeau (2021, May 30th)-
Reference
Dickson, C, & Watson, B.(2021, May 27). Remains of 215 children found buried at former B.C. residential school, First Nation says. CBC News. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/tk-eml%C3%BAps-te-secw%C3%A9pemc-215-children-former-kamloops-indian-residential-school-1.6043778