Agenda

Professor Maya Chacaby (Anishinaabe, Beaver Clan from Kaministiquia) has created a narrative-driven, gamified Linguistics curriculum at York University, Canada to teach Anishinaabemowin (the language of the Anishinaabeg / Ojibwe Peoples.) Fusing traditional Anishinaabe storytelling practices with immersive learning mechanics has resulted in high proficiency and increased retention levels of this endangered Indigenous language. For ten years, Professor Chacaby has worked with her students to develop, refine, and test learning games that meet the needs of second-language learners. Together, they have identified key learning objectives that could be achieved through a gamified approach to Indigenous language learning.

Working with Elders from Nokiiwin Tribal Council, local Indigenous Youth groups, York University, and metaverse builders, UniVirtual, Professor Chacaby is virtualizing her course and making it available to all as Biskaabiiyaang: The Indigenous Metaverse.

In this session, panellists Professor Chacaby and virtual learning expert Benoit Buyse share ways to Indigenize metaverse technologies and spaces. Projects involving Indigenous communities should aim to safeguard, revitalize, and respect Indigenous Knowledge and language while encouraging digital empowerment of Elders. We will discuss the protocols and principles Biskaabiiyaang adheres to that ensure First Nations have control, ownership and protection over data collection processes and their intellectual property.

Indigenous peoples are misrepresented and often erased entirely from the digital world. For this session, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities are invited to explore how the metaverse can be used to bridge this gap. Emerging platforms should work with communities and develop relationships to ensure Indigenous representation and cultural perspectives are no longer erased.

Biskaabiiyaang is being developed in tandem with the UNESCO International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022-2032.) This session also shares the project’s roadmap for utilizing metaverse tools and gamified learning to increase the number of Anishinaabemowin second-language speakers over the following decade. We invite you to examine how metaverse technologies can be used to promote and protect endangered languages across the globe.