Indigenous Language Revitalization

Preserving Endangered Languages

In various communities, the loss of Indigenous languages has been rapid and significant. Danielle Boyer, a member of the Anishinaabe community in Michigan, aims to reverse this trend with her project, SkoBot.

The SkoBot

Inspired by a talking Elmo toy, SkoBot is an interactive device designed to help children learn Anishinaabemowin. The robot, about the size of a coffee mug, interacts with users via AI speech recognition technology.

A Global Issue

The loss of Indigenous languages is not unique to Michigan. In California, Jared Coleman, a member of the Big Pine Paiute Tribe, is working on creating a program similar to Rosetta Stone for his native language, Owens Valley Paiute.

Ethical AI Framework

Both Boyer and Coleman prioritize community involvement and ethical use of AI in their projects. For SkoBot, real voices from the Anishinaabe community are used, ensuring that language learning is a communal experience.