First Luiseno Language Kiosk Advances Soboba's Effort to Revitalize Language (fwd)

Fri Feb 11 05:43:05 UTC 2005

First Luiseno Language Kiosk Advances Soboba's Effort to Revitalize
Language

IconNicholson Helps Soboba Use Digital Technology to Further
Their Cultural and Language Initiatives
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/02-10-2005/0002991630&EDATE=

NEW YORK, Feb. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- The Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians
(Soboba), working together with IconNicholson, has launched the first
kiosk planned by the Soboba Cultural Center to support their language
revitalization initiative. This kiosk is the first to successfully
deliver content and functionality focused on the Luiseno language to a
large audience, which has been a technological challenge.

Engaging people of all ages new to the Luiseno language, the kiosk
allows
users to query words and sentences and hear them spoken in Luiseno.
IconNicholson maximized digital technology to its fullest to deliver a
very user-friendly experience and personal interaction, while achieving
preservation, digitization and organization of a complex language.

"The language kiosk is a keystone that will contribute to our cultural
identity as a Native People," says Charlene Ryan, Soboba Cultural Center
Director and Tribal Member. "Language is culture; it speaks of who we
are.
Technology has enabled us to link the written word in Luiseno with
phonetic spelling that is accompanied by an image and sound byte that
will bring Luiseno to the current generation of tribal members. It is
our hope that this tool will lay a foundation that will breathe life
into the Luiseno language."

"Our work with Soboba has been extremely rewarding," says Jannine Salo,
VP, Indian Country Technology Services at IconNicholson. "The company
has a long-standing commitment to helping cultural institutions and
Indian Tribes develop high-level technology capabilities. We view this
continued opportunity to help sustain the Luiseno language as
particularly significant."

The kiosk is installed at the Soboba Sports Complex on the Soboba
Reservation in San Jacinto, California.

~~~
About IconNicholson

IconNicholson is a leading IT professional services firm based in New
York
City. The company develops high performance solutions that maximize the
power of digital and RFID technologies.

The company has been a pioneer in the smart use of emerging technology
solutions since 1987. Its expertise in strategic consulting, user-driven
modeling and design, and systems development and integration is widely
recognized and has produced successful results for a range of clients
including Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians, The Doris Duke Charitable
Foundation, San Manuel Tribe, MasterCard International, Pechanga.net,
EMI
Music Publishing, The Mellon Foundation, The Mashantucket Pequot Museum
and Research Center, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Prada.
http://www.iconnicholson.com

SOURCE IconNicholson
Web Site: http://www.iconnicholson.com