The Indigitization Program is pleased to announce the launch of our latest initiative, part of the National Research Council (NRC)’s Canadian Indigenous Languages Technology Project, aimed at collaboratively developing and making accessible manuals, tools, equipment, and instructional and training resources to support digitization efforts of language materials in Indigenous communities.

Since January 2020 Indigitization and its community and institutional partners have engaged in a multi-faceted initiative designed to support Indigenous communities to maximize the benefits of digitization for language revival efforts through increased training, coordination, and resource provision.

Through the project Indigitization will expand its current Toolkit and audio cassette digitization program to include open reel audio, VHS, Beta and camcorder video formats. These media are present in many Indigenous communities, and carry recordings documenting the culture, language, administration, and governance processes that are vital for each community. As these formats face increased degradation and obsolescence, it is critical that high quality practical resources be created to support Indigenous communities and organizations to undertake digitization.

Accompanying the expanded toolkit will be training resources providing a practical manual for transcription/translation, which will be tested and developed in collaboration with two Indigenous community organizations.

We will be highlighting our partner organizations on social media, so make sure to keep an eye out on our Facebook page, Instagram, and Twitter. Stay tuned for more!