This post is to share the good news that the Sugt’stun App – Android Apps for the Preservation of Endangered Languages project has been generously funded by the University of Alaska Anchorage’s (UAA’s) Faculty Development Grant. This is a collaborative project between the Nanwalek IRA Council, Dr. Kirk Scott and his Engineering Research Assistants, and me and my Anthropology/Alaska Native Studies Research Assistant, Ivana Ash.

This will allow us to further develop our pilot-app with additional vocabulary and functions as well as to experiment with future directions. It will also allow us to invite you all to test out the app during your visits to Anchorage and give us feedback on the new directions we are going to take.

Moreover, Ivana, as Research Assistant, gave the first public presentation on this project at UAA’s Alaska Native Studies Undergraduate Symposium. She gave an excellent explanation of the concepts we are using to build this App and the challenges we are facing in this work, using the differences between Unani, Kananii, and Camani (meaning “down there” in different variations).

Ivana presenting on the Sugt’stun App project.

The 50 word pilot-app we developed as proof of concept for this proposal, using the Nanwalegmiut Paluwigmiut-llu Nupugnerit Dictionary, can be downloaded to any android device from this website (scroll to the very bottom of the page and click on “Sugtstun”):

http://math.uaa.alaska.edu/~android/flashcards/

There is still a lot of work to do, but this is as an exciting opportunity we can build on and expand so that we can eventually create a fully functional app with guidance from Elders and fluent speakers. This is also a great time to stop and thank all past, current, and future collaborators for their input and support – Quyanaa!