InDIGenius. Indigenous Languages + Technology Sharing Initiative

The Americas Research Network (ARENET) in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution’s Recovering Voices program (RV), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the COLING Project, the Experimental Humanities Collaborative Network (EHCN) and The Council of American Overseas Research
Centers (CAORC), is organizing a three-day meeting focused on assessing the current state of knowledge around the use of digital technologies by Indigenous scholars for language revitalization efforts in the Americas. Our principal aim is the planning of the InDIGenius Languages and Digital Technology Fair that
will be held in 2024.

This “state of knowledge” meeting will take place in Mexico City over three days between August 7th and 10th, 2023, with over twenty participants from the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. We will convene experts in digital humanities technology, with a focus on indigenous scholars, researchers, community experts, language activists, digital technology developers, and policymakers. Together, this group will appraise the different scales of technology employed for language revitalization by Indigenous communities, scholars, educational institutions, as well as industry partners. We see a need to convene a diverse group that highlights the work being done by Indigenous scholars and to assess which methods and technologies are already in use, as well as technologies that are currently in development. We will also identify areas needing support, and create opportunities for Indigenous scholars to share and exchange knowledge around the use of digital technology.