Tech breathes new life into endangered Native American languages
Linguistics experts are turning to cutting-edge technologies to revitalize threatened Native American languages—and rejuvenate generations of Indigenous tradition—through new approaches such as children's books and smartphone ...
In one such endeavor, three Native American women rack their brains as they gather around a computer, trying to remember—and record—dozens of Apache language words related to everyday activities such as cooking and eating.
They are creating an online English-Apache dictionary, just one of several projects working to preserve endangered Indigenous languages in the United States.
The women are working with Rapid Word Collection (RWC) software, which uses an algorithm to search Apache text and audio databases for so-called forgotten words.
The words are then defined, translated into English, and their pronunciation recorded, so the dictionary's users will know how to say them properly.
Teacher Joycelene Johnson and two of her colleagues validate the definition of the word Apache word "kapas," which means potato in English.
"The applications in the written language are good for (a) non-speaker—at least they'll have a museum of it where they can go to for reference," said Johnson, a 68-year-old who teaches Apache vocabulary and grammar.
Ashleigh Surma (second right) assists Elva Case (left), Linda Lupe (second left) and Joycelene Johnson (right) in recording Indigenous languages in Bloomington, Indiana, on October 13, 2023.
Attendees listen during the ICILDER 2023 Conference (International Conference on Indigenous Language Documentation, Education, and Revitalization) in Bloomington, Indiana, on October 13, 2023.