Many Alaska Native language activists have already been using tools such as YouTube to share language information (see, for example, the Naqenaga YouTube channel). The Endangered Languages site adds a new layer of interactivity, allowing people to comment on existing resources and even annotate and transcribe recordings. In Alaska, as in much of the world, the most useful and important language documentation is often housed not in archives but in local communities. This information is at great risk of being lost due to fire, flood, or natural degradation. Moreover, it is often inaccessible to the very language learners who would most benefit from it. The Endangered Languages site provides an ideal platform for people to share this information.
The Alaska Native Language Archive is one of the founding partners in the Alliance for Linguistic Diversity, a collaboration between Google's non-profit arm and several language archives across the world. Collaborating with Google allows us to bring cutting-edge tools (think YouTube, Picasa, etc.) and developer resources to the effort. So far, only a small fraction of ANLA's collection is available through EndangeredLanguages.com, but this is expected to grow as ANLA continues to work with individual language communities to make ANLA materials available there. Now that the site is live, anyone can register and start uploading language materials. Technology alone will not maintain Alaska Native languages, but technology can contribute to language revitalization by making materials more accessible and thus helping to bridge the generations.
Some links:
Google Endangered Languages Project Press Release
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2012/06/endangered-languages-project-supporting.html
UAF Press Release
http://www.uafnews.com/headlines/uaf-google-collaborate-on-new-native-languages-website
KTOO Juneau news story
http://www.ktoonews.org/2012/06/25/uaf-partners-with-google-to-preserve-alaska-native-languages/
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