WIKI FOR INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES (WIL)

The summer before I started my first year at UCLA, I had the special opportunity to work with Professor David Shorter as a Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) on one of his research projects, a Wiki for Indigenous Languages. Born out of his many years of work with the Yoeme people, and a dream to bring the divided community closer together despite the Mexican American border, the project transitions a static language dictionary into a digital, language learning and culture sharing environment. As data manager, I helped to complete the coding and content input on the original Wiki for Indigenous Language (WIL) site and prepare documentation of the project for a NEH grant proposal. The project offered me an early opportunity to consider challenges of coding languages and creating digital resources for communities that have limited access to and knowledge of digital technologies. The experience became an important one for the perspective I bring to my DH work and scholarship. While technology may feel ubiquitous within Western, First World settings, many parts of the world and different communities have different access (as a result of politics and power structures) and cultural perspectives regarding technology and its adoption and integration.

TOOLS

Wiki Markup Language

HTML

ASSOCIATED OUTCOMES

In the time since I worked with Professor David Shorter on the project, the website has been redesigned and newly published in Drupal.

http://wil.cdh.ucla.edu/

DATE(S)

AUGUST 2012 – SEPTEMBER 2012