Fwd: [Anthropology] Cree Language

[Jonathan Holmes]

CaveTank at aol.com wrote:  From: CaveTank at aol.com
Date: Sun, 29 Apr 2007 16:03:45 EDT
To: anthropology at listserv.nku.edu
Subject: [Anthropology] Cree Language

      Cree language to go online with new Internet dictionary
   
  Kerry Benjoe
  The Leader-Post
   
  Saturday, April 28, 2007
   
  The Cree language is going high tech as part of the Cree Language
  Resource Project that was announced on Friday at the First Nations University of
  Canada (FNUniv).
   
  The project is a joint initiative between the FNUniv, the Miyo
  Wahkohtowin Community Education Authority (MWCEA) and Intellinet Technologies Inc.
  The partners are working towards developing an online Cree-English
  dictionary.
   
  "It's not for profit," said Loretta Pete-Lambert, director of education
  at the MWCEA.
   
  "Its intention is to preserve Cree, enhance Cree for individuals
  interested in learning about Cree."
   
  The MWCEA, a K-to-12 school located on the Ermineskin Cree Nation in
  Alberta, is responsible for spearheading the initiative.
   
  Pete-Lambert said the concept of an online dictionary that was both
  educational and interactive grew out of the need to find resources to
  teach the Cree language.
   
  She anticipates the dictionary will be available by the end of May or
  the beginning of June. The dictionary is currently being worked on to ensure
  that everything is working as it should.
   
  In November, Pete-Lambert signed a similar agreement with the University
  of Alberta to make its Cree dictionary available online. She feels it's
  important to convert as many of the existing First Nations dictionaries
  to an online version as a way of creating a more complete resource tool.
   
  The project is moving forward very quickly because of the support
  Pete-Lambert has received from those involved in the project, like her
  school's information technologies person, Ahmed Jawad.
   
  "He sees this as a very good resource for our school system. He's
  committed to it. He has passion behind it," Pete-Lambert said of Jawad, who has
  also had to learn the Cree-syllabics system so that he's able to understand
  the intricacies involved with the First Nations language.
   
  Jawad is also the president of Intellinet Technologies Inc. and is
  responsible for developing the online version.
   
  Richard Lightning, an elder from the Ermineskin First Nation, said he
  was overwhelmed by the whole project and is amazed by what technology is
  able to do.
   
  "Hopefully the First Nations people in this province support every
  effort to be able to revive and restore the language and the culture, because the
  two go hand in hand," said Lightning.
   
  Arok Wolvengrey, an associate professor in the Indian Languages
  Department at the FNUniv, has provided all the information from his dictionary,
  nehiyawewin: itwewina/Cree words, for the online version.
   
  He jumped at the opportunity to have his dictionary go online because he
  knew it was not something he would have been able to do on his own.
   
  "I certainly did not have the expertise to take it to that next level,"
  said Wolvengrey.
   
  "So this is perfect. It allows us to expand, to continually add
  information to the database ... But we're going way beyond that, doing audio files
  and video clips."
   
  Wolvengrey's passion for the Cree language began when he was introduced
  to it as a child. He has dedicated much of career to learning and
  preserving it.
   
  Wolvengrey sees the potential the Internet can play in Cree retention
  intiatives and says incorporating the syllabic-writing system as well as
  a pronunciation key will go a long way in helping people learn and retain
  the language.
   
  The dictionary converts words from their English form into their Cree
  translation using Cree syllabics or the Roman alphabet. It can create
  flash cards and story boards, and includes games and testing components for
  children as well as a database of lesson plans for teachers.




    
---------------------------------
  See what's free at AOL.com. 



Be a friend...
Help support the Lakota Communities on Pine Ridge,
go to:   http://FriendsofPineRidgeReservation.org
 































       
---------------------------------
Ahhh...imagining that irresistible "new car" smell?
 Check outnew cars at Yahoo! Autos.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/siouan/attachments/20070429/24601490/attachment.htm>