Weltschmerz à GogoAn interesting, relatively short discussion about using AI chatbots as tools for revitalizing endangered languages. The upshot is that, if it's going to be done at all, it needs to be done very, very carefully and only by or in close collaboration with the community that actually uses a given language. But there are an awful lot of details to work through, and this discussion is really tip-of-the-iceberg level. (Personally, I'm deeply skeptical of the value of "AI" tools for projects like these, and I'm not really convinced that the payoff is likely to be worth the effort. That's without even mentioning the ecological cost of "AI". Still, the discussion is interesting even if just in terms of the ethics involved and the particular complications of working with endangered languages.)
ResearchBuzz: FirehoseUniversity of Alberta: U of A linguist collaborates with community to preserve endangered language. “The structure of Sáliba, an Indigenous language spoken in Colombia, is still not well understood. But a number of audio recordings that include narratives, songs and procedural texts — along with handwritten annotations — made by Colombian linguist Jon Landaburu in the late 1960s could help […]
https://rbfirehose.com/2026/04/04/university-of-alberta-u-of-a-linguist-collaborates-with-community-to-preserve-endangered-language/
University of Alberta: U of A linguist collaborates with community to preserve endangered language
University of Alberta: U of A linguist collaborates with community to preserve endangered language. “The structure of Sáliba, an Indigenous language spoken in Colombia, is still not well unde…
Anne Fuller (Sʼaachtlʼéiḵ)
CBC New BrunswickThe editor of an updated Indigenous language dictionary says he hopes the resource will help spur more language learning.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/sold-out-wolastoqey-dictionary-gets-second-edition-9.7117486?cmp=rss
Shantell Powell
Amanda Makepeace (ᏣᏁᎾ)Registration is open for 2026 Cherokee Language classes and I must make a decision on which level to start back at AHHHHHH 😅
Ministry of Good IdeasGood idea: skobots to revitalize indigenous languages
https://en.reset.org/how-skobots-are-revitalising-indigenous-languages/
The challenge of preserving Indigenous cultures and identities is critical. Resources for language revitalisation are dwindling and often hard to access. The SkoBots initiative is a direct response to this issue.
SkoBots is a community-led, interactive and wearable educational robot designed specifically to teach traditional languages to children. The project, led by Boyer and The STEAM Connection, rests on a foundation of ethical engagement and accessible design principles.
LM Little
(greetings for this week of winter) and a photo of Cuetlaxochime (recently called a Dead White Guyʼs name) #YooX̱ʼatánk #IndigenousLanguage #Greetings2025
KJRH: An app for that: Cherokee Nation debuts official language-learning and dictionary app. “With help from another prominent indigenous entity, the Cherokee Nation debuted its own language learning app on Dec. 9. With a ceremony inside Durbin Feeling Language Center, tribal leaders lauded the release of the app as a means to fully resurrect a mother tongue that almost went extinct over […]
