Stabilizing Indigenous Languages Symposium 27

With the advance of globalization and dominant colonial languages such as English and French, Indigenous languages continue to be threatened and endangered. Resources to learn Indigenous languages are often limited (e.g., lack of trained and/or fluent teachers) and often fail to meet the needs of the local community (e.g., externally imposed or Western-based curricula/teaching methods).

The ultimate goal for Indigenous language revitalization (ILR) initiatives is to promote intergenerational language transmission and use in the home environment (Fishman 2001; Hinton 2013). Getting speakers into the bush and learning in the natural environment is also a primary aim, particularly for Indigenous Elders.

However, what about those speakers who do not have access to the bush or even to a fluent speaker? Could the use of technology assist in ILR? And, if so, who is the person yielding the camera or adjusting the lens? Will technology perpetuate a colonial narrative, or will the lack of Indigenous representation on the digital landscape lead to a default conquest of a virtual "terra nullius"?

Through a synthesis of academic, grey and website materials in the past three decades, this presentation will detail key developments in the role of digital and online technologies in ILR initiatives. Some key takeaways from past and present ILR initiatives will be highlighted in order to begin to address important questions about any future implementation of technology.