Using Technology the Cherokee Way

Using Technology the Cherokee Way is an eye opening examination of how culture meets technology. With the inclusion of the Cherokee syllabary into Unicode, the Cherokee language is being utilized like never before. The talk will be focused on the different ways Cherokees have engaged digital technology by way of emailing, creating wikis, text messaging, social networking, and other modern digital applications. It will offer new perspectives on the strengths of creatively engaging technology for any culture and language.

Speaker Details

(Cherokee) began focusing his art studies on animation when he decided to produce a short film of a traditional Cherokee story in the Cherokee language with English subtitles. After receiving his Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania, Erb returned home to Oklahoma, where he combines his several loves-art, traditional storytelling, language preservation and the teaching of children. His Muscogee Creek and Cherokee students have so far produced Native-language animations, learning both new technology and their own traditional culture.

Currently, he works as an educational digital media specialist for the Cherokee Nation Education Services Group in Tahlequah, OK, incorporating the Cherokee language into modern digital media such as wikis, blogs, servers, and mobile media.

(Cherokee) He is an award winning filmmaker, artist, and new media specialist and his work has been shown across the country and internationally. He holds a BFA in Graphic Design from Oklahoma State University and Master of Art in Studio Art from the University of Arkansas – Little Rock.

He is the writer, director, producer, and animator of several short animated films spoken in the Cherokee and Muscogee languages including On a Spring Day and Incident at Rock Roe. He has worked on several documentary films, notably serving as illustrator on the National Park Service produced Trail of Tears film. He is also a graphic novelist, having worked on several titles, including Plugin Boy, Dead Eyes Open, and most recently, a contributing artist to the anthology Trickster: Native American Tales. Currently, he works as an educational digital media specialist for the Cherokee Nation Education Services Group in Tahlequah, OK, incorporating the Cherokee language into modern digital media such as wikis, blogs, servers, and mobile media.

Date:
Speakers:
Joseph Erb and Roy Boney
Affiliation:
Language Technology Program-Cherokee Nation Education Services Group

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      Jeff Running