Lakota AI Camp Revitalizes Language and Culture for Native American Youth
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Indigenous languages are endangered, with at least half disappearing by 2100. AI offers hope for revitalization to fortify and teach languages.
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There is a shortage of Indigenous AI experts to steward culture and languages digitally. The Lakota AI Code Camp trains Native American high schoolers in Python, data science, and app development.
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The camp was started by two Lakota AI experts to build an Indigenous computing talent pipeline, as Native Americans are severely underrepresented in tech fields.
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Students with no prior coding experience learned quickly, even amid tech challenges. The culturally-grounded curriculum and encouragement from Native teachers were invaluable.
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One student built an app to recognize Lakota sacred plants, embedding cultural knowledge. The long-term goal is to equip more STEM teachers to replicate the camps across tribes.