'Inclusive innovation' key to preserving endangered Indigenous languages

Technology could be a key tool in the fight to preserve endangered Indigenous languages, but it has to be done right, says Kelsey Leonard.

Leonard, a PhD candidate in McMaster University'spolitical science program and a member of theShinnecock Indian Nation,spoke at the True North conference on Wednesday.

"We all have a role and responsibility [in reconciliation], and when we think about innovation it has to be inclusive."

A simple example, she said, is social media in 2019.

"[It's] the international year of Indigenous languages and a lot of the social media platforms are all coded in English, they don't allow for many Indigenous languages," she said.

Google is making strides; the site now has search pages for Cherokee, Hawaiian and Maori languages.

"But there's over 7,000 Indigenous languages in the world, 3,000 of which are threatened right now. So when we think about data and technology [we need to ask]: How are we privilegingEnglish over Indigenous languages?" she said.

"That's a huge concern for us."