Amplifying the voices of Indigenous languages through the localization of internet freedom tools
Images from the Mayanese Languages Digital Activism Summit in Chiapas, Mexico (2024)
Indigenous people, “speak approximately 7,000 languages and represent almost 5,000 different cultures”, according to the United Nations. It’s a cause for wonder then, why the bulk of technology and the internet use less than 0.1% of all other languages in the world. We often hear about the need for access and accessibility, but no real conversations are being had about inclusivity and diversity in tech spaces and platforms which are fast becoming online representations of us in many spheres of our lives. We do business, converse, share opinions and thoughts, and stay in touch with people, all through technology that is increasingly made convenient for everyday use, or is it? The challenge we face with technology is it remains firmly geared towards the Global North consciousness, culture, values, and languages hence, tech often has little to no representation of many of the activities, celebrations, feelings, activities, and actions of many. Our cultures, values, and norms are not represented.
In a bid to continue the conversations, be inclusive, and hopefully validate the voices of the people who work on localizing these tools, Guardian Project recently interviewed some of the indigenous language users that they have been collaborating with to do this work and to garner their voices and thoughts about the localization process and why this work is important to them.
Localization Lab and Guardian Project collaboration
Localization Lab and Guardian Project came together in 2022 to work on the localization of Butter (Mantequilla) and Orbot in a bid to provide accessibility of the tools and resources in four (4) Latin American (LatAm) languages: the Wayuunaiki, Nasa Yuwe, Nahuatl, and Misak groups located in the Americas.
This project seeks to mitigate the impact of internet blockades, such as those that were attempted two years ago in Colombia as a result of a national strike, and offer an alternative to providing connectivity services in areas with little to no internet access, as is common with communities that live in rural areas, far from large urban centers.
Mantequilla is a selection of alternative applications for users who have little or no internet connection, from messaging applications via Bluetooth to mapping services. On the other hand, Orbot is an application that routes cell phone traffic through the Tor network, providing anonymity for the user.
Within the framework of a LatAm meeting of digital security trainers, Localization Lab and Guardian Project held a Localization Sprint with 10 participants from the communities of Nasa and Misak from southwestern Colombia, Wayuu (located on the Guajira peninsula, on the border between Colombia and Venezuela) and Nahuatl (spoken mainly in Mexico and other regions of Central America).
The aim of this project is for participants to understand localization as the process of translating digital security resources into versions adapted to the needs, challenges, language, and culture of the communities that use these resources. The Sprint, working on the Mantequilla website and application and Orbot, was held in Santa Marta (Colombia) on November 14 and 15, 2022. This meeting was the first of many steps taken towards making these tools available in these Indigenous languages and for the development of new versions and resources of both tools.
LatAm Indigenous language participants working on Mantequilla and Orbot at the first Localization Sprint in Santa Marta (2022)
As part of the promotion of the tools in local communities and as part of outreach work, Localization Lab and Guardian Project attended The Mayense Languages Digital Activism Summit (La Cumbre de Activismo Digital de Lenguas Mayenses), which took place from January 17 to 20 in Chiapas, Mexico.
The event aimed to spread awareness of the projects and tools for promoting, preserving, and revitalizing Mayan languages in digital spaces, and create a community of activists to build solidarity networks, share learnings, encourage collaboration, and amplify the ongoing work in the space.
The second batch of translation work took place in the first quarter of 2024 to enable the release of Orbot and to continue localizing the Mantequilla app and website in the four (4) indigenous languages.
Some of the outputs of this collaboration so far have included:
The creation of a glossary and style guide for each of the 4 languages
The availability of Orbot in 4 LatAm Indigenous languages
The availability of the Mantequilla website in 4 LatAm Indigenous languages
Capacity-building of the Mayan language contributors through platform training and familiarization
The advancement of conversations around the importance of keeping Mayan languages alive through localization of tools and resources that build the digital resilience of LatAm indigenous language users
In many cases, the native language of Indigenous communities is not Spanish, so having these tools localized in their language will not only encourage their use but will also allow them to mitigate the impact of internet outages or the total absence of it. More recently, the collaboration has taken further steps to not just translate the tools and hope that they are used, but to further understand the impact on the people that are working to ensure these tools are available for their communities.
Guardian Project recently held interviews with contributors from the language groups. They highlighted several challenges including, slow internet, challenges with learning new platforms for translation, and working on the glossary among other challenges. They also reiterated the importance of defining the context of a phrase so that it is translated in a manner that retains relevance to both the user and the tool.
The Wayuu language group also highlighted a particularly touching point about an elderly lady who was very enthusiastic and was helping with the localization process. Unfortunately, she passed away before the work was completed. The Wayuu team stated that they would like to dedicate their work to her memory.
To hear more from the language groups about their experiences in working on these tools and the impact of this project in their communities, please visit Guardian Project on YouTube.