At the Crossroads of Language and AI
A UC Santa Cruz professor is working to ensure Indigenous languages are not left behind as technology advances in English.
The Cherokee learned that if you ask a question and you are patient, after seven days it will answer itself.
This quote is from the first animation in the Cherokee language, "The Beginning They Told," or ᏗᏓᎴᏂᏍᎬ ᎤᏂᏃᎮᏓ. The story features Grandpa Beaver, Little Water Beetle, and the Great Buzzard Su Li forming the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains.
Joseph Erb, the director and creator, turned down an Ivy League educator invitation over 20 years ago to teach his community animation storytelling.
I wanted to go home and teach my community how to tell stories through animation,
said the 51-year-old Cherokee animator. He joined the UC Santa Cruz film and digital media department in 2022, with a two-decade legacy of teaching.
Author's summary: Indigenous languages preserved through animation and education.