Welcome to Kwän Dék’án’ Do

To Keep The Fire Burning

The First Nation of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun, in collaboration with Carleton University and the Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages, are embarking on the Kwän Dék’án’ Do initiative.

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CALL FOR PARTICIPATION

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With less than a dozen Northern Tutchone speakers left in central Yukon, this work is creating a rich record of culture, stories, artefacts, humour, and identity - all informed by our language.

Our Elders named this work, Kwän Dék’án’ Do, meaning “To keep the fire burning”. Our language has not died, but its embers need tending. This work is a reignition of the flames of language that brings warmth to our entire community and light to guide our self-determined future.

This project embraces immersive technologies such as holopresence and virtual reality, and artificial intelligence to not only create an interactive record of Northern Tutchone culture, but to also develop a digital language model and educational experiences. The goal of this work is to build a foundation to support ongoing language learners for generations to come, and eventually creating open-source access for Nations across the globe.

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Project Partners