Indigenous languages in new media: Opportunities and challenges for language revitalization

Abstract

This paper looks at the use of Indigenous languages in new media and explores how these platforms empower Indigenous language speakers as grassroots language activists. Selected examples of Indigenous language use on social media will be analyzed, both through an examination of contemporary social media accounts and through literature review. These primary source examples, coupled with examples from the literature, will inform a discussion of the opportunities and challenges of Indigenous language use in these online spaces. New media will be discussed as productive sites for spontaneous literacy production and ultimately Indigenous self-determination.