Computer program keeps Native languages in today's world

Tedious editing tasks eliminated with new word processing computer program

Page 12

Native languages have just taken a step into the world of word processing.

A new computer program now includes special characters and accents particular to three Native languages, allowing users to bypass length manual post-editing. The First Nation Language Extensions program was the brain-child of Darlene Speidel, with the Saskatchewan Indian Cultural Centre in Regina.

Speidel heard many complaints about the time-consuming efforts needed to produce a document in Native languages. After using an English language word processing program, writers have to manually add Native characters and accents. Thinking there must be a way to include them, Speidel approached Randy Coulman, with Randco Intelligent Computer Solutions, to create a Native-language program.

The result was the First Nation Language Extension for WordPerfect 5.1. It was originally created for in-house use at the centre, but the many requests for the program encouraged Coulman to market it. Now editors, business people and students can write Cree/Saulteaux, Dakota/Nakota/Lakota, and Dene in English alphabet versions with all the necessary characters.

And user groups vary from schools to correctional centres.

"We want the software so that we don't have to convert everything. This way we can just scan the finished product directly," said Judy Harbour at the Lake of The Woods Cultural Centre in Kenora, Ont.

The centre wants to use the First Nation program to develop a curriculum for kindergarten to Grade 6 classes. Harbour works with 54 Native language teachers in band-operated, public and separate school systems in the area. Having a program in Cree will help in their goals to keep the language alive in modern settings.

For inmates at the Pinegrove Correctional Centre in Prince Albert, Sask. the programs offer the opportunity to practise word processing in their own language.

Pinegrove developed a literacy program that achieved national acclaim for its success rates. Today inmates help produce a newsletter that is distributed across Canada. In the future, articles in Cree written by inmates may be included.

The First Nation Language Extensions program works on PC-compatible computers capable of running WordPerfect 5.1 for DOS, and on any printer capable of printing graphics. A Syllabic version of the software may soon be available, depending on the reach of new conversion technologies,

For more information on the computer program, contact Darlene Speidel at (306) 244-1146.