Erin Miller, the Client Relations Manager at Ogoki Learning Centre, thanked the club for the invitation to speak to us about Ogoki Learning Inc. She explained that the goal of Ogoki Learning is to support First Nations communities and tribes across North America in preserving their culture through education and language. Darrick Baxter, the president and CEO of Ogoki Learning Inc., started the company 10 years ago to revitalize and preserve the world’s >6000 ancestral languages that are at risk of disappearing over the next century by using technology that is familiar and comfortable for young people. He wrote the code for a new language application that worked so well for his daughter on her iPad that he decided to release the app on the App Store and to distribute it online for free. Tessa Dubuc, a student at Red River College majoring in Indigenous Community Economic Development who is working as the company’s administrative assistant, spoke about the importance of preserving indigenous languages. Children of her grandmother’s generation were educated in residential schools (i.e. away from their families) with the result that they were not that familiar with their tribe’s language and culture and hence unable to pass those attributes on to their own children. Result – intergenerational trauma. Eula Odulio, the Graphic Design Lead and Office Manager at Ogoki Learning Inc., services more than 170 native language apps in North America from their office near Polo Park. These come in the form of children’s games, websites, and speakers on Ojibway TV that share cultural stories. These can be downloaded from the App Store onto phones, tablets and computers. They use audio and video from Elders to ensure that pronunciations are accurate. Cherisse Daoust, who graduated from the two-year Graphic Design program at Red River College, joined Ogoki Learning in January 2020. She has worked on projects like the Ojibway, Cree, Shibogama Tribal Council, AKRC (Anishinaabeg of Kabapikotawangag Resource Council) Game App and various custom language apps. Responses to questions from the audience produced the following information - Heritage Canada Foundation (now known as “Heritage Canada – The National Trust”) has funds available to help resurrect First Nation languages, but the funds have not yet been distributed.
- Ogoki Learning works with Indigenous groups all over the world – students and parents learning together.
- Origin of the company name was Ogoki, ON, a place Darrick Baxter was familiar with.
- A recent meeting with people of the Metis nation is likely to lead to an app for that language – all apps are customized.
Immediate Past President Mandy thanked the staff of Ogoki Learning Inc for sharing their information with us and presented them with an envelope indicating that the club will be making a donation to ShelterBox in their name and explained briefly what ShelterBox is and does. |
