“The goal is to bring the expertise, knowledge and sensitivity of our elders into the digital age. This will ensure cultural continuity, where our young people remain strong in retaining their language, culture and heritage.”
Native Village of Afognak Tribal Administrator JJ Orloff
Katurlita! – Let’s All Gather
With 2019 being celebrated as the International Year of Indigenous Languages, a trailblazing Alaskan indigenous community has launched an immersive app to help save a language and heritage on the brink of extinction.
The app Katurlita! – Let’s All Gather communicates the importance, resilience and richness of the unique Alutiiq culture and heritage. Alutiiq are the indigenous people of the Kodiak Island Archipelago in the Gulf of Alaska who have inhabited traditional lands for over 7,500 years.
The app has been developed by the Native Village of Afognak which represents over 700 tribal members, descended specifically from the village of Afognak, on Afognak Island, in the northern part of the Archipelago.
Katurlita! – Let’s All Gather provides information on Afognak history, places, language, values, cultural knowledge, and traditional arts, using audio, text, video and song.
Highlights include an interactive map teaching pronunciation of key sites, a section where you can listen to “Voices of our Elders”, a tool where you can develop your own introduction in the Alutiiq language, and push notifications to build community and engagement.
Features
- Swipe-to-Read™
- Touch-to-Hear™
- Touch-to-Spell™
- Record your narration
- Multiple languages
- Notes
