Tradition Meets Technology With Indigenous Language App

The File Hills Qu’Appelle Tribal Council believes the key to language preservation is technology. So on Monday, FHQTC launched its iTunes Language App for Cree, Saulteaux, Dakota, Nakoda and Lakota – the five language groups that comprise the tribal council. The applications will now be accessible for download on iTunes for free.

It took three years and several fluent language speakers to complete the language project.

Hartland Goodtrack, 75, was one of the traditional language speakers who participated.

He’s happy to have been a part of it because after not speaking it for about 40 years, he now speaks it more regularly.

“But there’s not too many people out there who can understand what I say,” Goodtrack said.

On the Wood Mountain First Nation, located 32 kilometres north of the U.S. border, Goodtrack is one of only two fluent language speakers left.

“I’m very proud I’m able to speak it,” he said. “It’s nice to be able to speak another language besides English.”

Raised by his grandparents, Lakota was his first language, but he stopped speaking it after he began working off-reserve.

Although it hasn’t been easy relearning his language, Goodtrack understands the importance of keeping it alive for future generations.

“I’m kicking myself now for not teaching my kids,” he said. “But I was working. I was gone all week and would come back on the weekends. I was busy. Life is fast.”

Goodtrack is glad the iTunes Language program is now available because he knows it will help him teach his grandchildren to speak the Lakota language.

He hopes that by the time his grandchildren are adults they will have an understanding of the language.

Edmund Bel le g arde, FHQTC tribal chairman, said the launch of the application is only the first step in reclaiming and restoring the languages of the tribal council.

“We are hoping this encourages our young people, especially, to reclaim their language, walk proudly and restore the cultural significance and the value that we have to offer society,” said Bellegarde.

He said creating the language apps was a learning experience for all those involved.

“The English language is one of very distinct meaning for each word,” Bellegarde said.

“What we are learning through the development if this language app is that our languages are gifts from the creator and our language has a lot more context and it represents concepts. One word in our language could mean many words strung together in the English language. A few words in our language should mean pages and pages of written text in the English language.”

The language apps are available on iTunes and can be found by searching FHQ or by the language name. Each language application consists of 500 words.

“We’ve done this to try share this language with the world,” Bellegarde said.

“The Internet is a global community and we wanted to offer it for free because the teaching of language is a gift bestowed by our creator. It’s a sacred gift.”

He said FHQTC wanted to make sure there were no barriers to access the language by anyone interested in learning any of the five languages.

“(Language) is the foundation of our culture; it’s a linking of us to our identity as a people, so we are hoping to share that with the world,” Bellegarde said.

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