Revitalization at a Distance: Engaging Digital Archives for Language Reclamation

Abstract

Abstract: In this paper, we describe collaborative work in progress on reclamation projects between Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Australia and the Chirila project. These projects were created in response to a need for language work which was responsive to community needs in different regions of Australia, but where the work could also be done remotely: that is, aiding reclamation work without taking attention away from local collaborations within families or schools. Such work does not in any way replace language work on the ground, and community-internal language work, but it can augment existing projects and continue connections while we cannot meet in person, as well as provide undergraduate linguistics students with in depth training in language documentation. In this article, we discuss how the bootcamps work and the types of materials that are particularly suited to this style of collaboration. We describe the types of materials that are produced and how these can feed into community language programs. We describe how the bootcamps use collaboration "at a distance" to train university students in ethics and community partnerships, and comment on how the projects have worked from both the community and university perspective. We stress, however, that this is only one possible model of remote collaboration.