Two Navajo tutors from San Juan College’s Navajo Language program will pilot a project that emphasizes on crowdsourcing content. Using the Diné Bizaad app, they will review new words and phrases located in the app and create example sentences to be updated in the database. What is unique about this process is mobility — not being restricted to time or space.
There are over 1,000 words and phrases in the dictionary database. This database can be found in the hands of any mobile device user. We want to show our communities that technology can be used as a creative tool. Mobile devices have become ubiquitous in rural Indigenous communities and they have an internet browser. So, why not use the World Wide Web as a learning repository?
It took the internet 3 years to reach 15 million people compared to radio taking 37 years, and television 15 years to reach that same number of people. – Naughton
The concept for an online Diné Bizaad Dictionary was designed late New Year’s Eve 2013. Since then, a mobile app for iOS and Android OS has been released by the company I work for at Native Innovation, Inc. in Flagstaff, Arizona. As a Navajo and Veteran owned company, our core values support contributions to underserved communities throughout Indigenous communities.
Thanks to all our contributors and team members!
