DeneQuest: Inkoze

Indigenous languages, worldviews, stories, and songs each are globally and geolinguistically significant. They each represent thousands of years of knowledge, specific to the lands upon which they are spoken. Within every Indigenous language are ethnomedicinal legacies, land-based relationalities, idiosyncratic worldviews, and ways of being known most intimately and specifically within the language itself. For many, Indigenous languages are the solution against the forces of colonialism.

However, Indigenous languages across the world are facing various degrees of endangerment and extinction. Colonialism, capitalism, and linguistic imperialism have pervaded Indigenous lands, resulting in epistemicide, land theft, and genocide. Problems such as linguistic imperialism, anglophonic bias in media, standardized schooling, municipalization, subsistence species eradication, de-ontoepistemologicalization, 

Each of these impacts against Indigenous languages continually compounds into concretely realized linguicide, taking with it ancestral legacies of Indigenous knowledges and knowledge systems. Of the more than 60 Indigenous languages within what's colonially referred to as Canada, only three are expected to have proficient speakers by 2100. Statistically, this means 57 linguistically-woven knowledge systems will fall asleep. 

After thousands and thousands of years of geolinguistic connection to land and place, each of those languages will have last-living speakers with each having their revitalization attempts. There will be language revitalization communities, and some of these Indigenous language communities will re-awaken languages.

Denededlıne Yatı one of these languages. Denededlıne Yatı is an under-represented and under-resourced language, with less than 300 fluent speakers. 

As with most Indigenous languages, many youth want to learn the language but they often don't have people or spaces to engage and learn with. Such youth lack access to Indigenous Elders, knowledge keepers, and fluent language speakers. Without a direct connection to speakers, Indigenous language learners seek independent learning. 

As of yet, there are very few digitally-interactive resources for Indigenous language learning. Apps fail to be dialogical, putting forward single words at a time rather than full sentences. Consistently, such apps lack the complexity of rich dialogue and nuance present in each Indigenous language.

Indigenous languages, in their ancestral legacies, are responses against colonialism, capitalism, and imperialism.

As many language learners have difficulty getting to know Elders, knowledge keepers, or language speakers within their home community, they need access to a tool for independent learning which challenges and grows with them as learners. 

DeneQuest: Inkoze presents an asynchronous, digitally-interactive language learning environment where players gradually find themselves immersed in situationally-specific, gradually growing language spaces. In just a few short clicks, players are thinking and engaging with the game entirely in the language — with no English interference at all! 

This game presents a digitally-represented land-based environment, specific to Tu Nedhé — the great lake. Tu Nedhé is the Great Slave Lake, in the Northwest Territories of Canada — where Denededlıne Yatı is spoken.

This game is designed for play by language speakers and learners with mobility issues, those away from their language-speaking community, and those who don't know how to begin to build relationships with Indigenous Elders, knowledge keepers, or language speakers. 

In this multifaceted game (with more than 100 minigames!), learners are constantly rewarded by their engagement and language fluency of Denededline Yati. 

This game has so far been reviewed by 10 youth, artists, language speakers, and language learners, Indigenous linguists, and K-12 educators. As of yet, the game is youth-tested, and Elder-approved

Indigenous youth are craving their Indigenous languages. They are part of the 7th generation. 

By reconnecting 

Many language learners have difficulty getting to know Elders, knowledge keepers, or language speakers within their home community.

Many language learners have difficulty getting to know Elders, knowledge keepers, or language speakers within their home community.

Elder Eileen Beaver has been involved in Indigenous language teaching, instruction, instructional design, project design, and programming for Denededline Yati for more than 25 years. She grew up in Rocher River, a community with Denededline Yati speakers, which was forced to disband by way of arson and residential school regulations. Elder Eileen Beaver retired in the last half-decade, but remains busy in pursuit of academic opportunities, ongoing language teaching, ongoing educational opportunities for K-12 learners through TakingITGlobal, she is a Denededline Yati mentor to multiple learners, she is a language auditor for the Government of the Northwest Territories, and is a holder and sharer of ancestral knowledges related to ceremony, culture, and sacred teachings. 

Elder Eileen Beaver lives in Edmonton, AB, where Kyle drives to often to visit her. Her and Kyle have partnered to create the Three Feathers movie, TakingITGlobal sessions to Dene learners, Mentor-Apprentice Programming, a master’s thesis, and many talks at international and national fora regarding Indigenous language revitalization, connection to land, and reconciliation through action and accountability.  

I am an instructor of Indigenous language programming with UVic, specializing in designing learning for communities which supports broader Indigenous language acquisition, revitalization, reclamation, and maintenance. I am also a game designer, specializing in outcome oriented goals. My work and passion as an Indigenous language learner, speaker, media-maker and revolutionary allows for a stronger position to act and support high-quality programming and products specifically designed to support language learning and literacy.

While I hold dear a network of ancestral and current relations who are Dene, I hold a relationship with Eileen which is very special. We have co-delivered and co-designed many language learning projects, and it’s because of this ongoing partnership that I am especially motivated to see this project through with Eileen. 

This videogame is already somewhat developed, with more than two years of coding, translation, visiting, and Elder-guided game development. Parts of the game are trial-tested. The game is so-far youth-tested, and Elder-approved. 

The game is playable, with more than 100 levels, and a beginning and an end. The game is currently in its translation phase, which will lead to recording, and then distribution. I am also simultaneously cleaning up the code, for which this grant will support bringing in another Indigenous coder to aide with the coding. 

As of yet, I am looking to respond to the technical barriers related to appropriate coding. I am looking for funding to further support the inclusion of an Indigenous coder, who can clean up the Javascript in the game well. I am looking to learn from MIT about various technical aspects which can further inform the development of this game as a language learning resource. I am looking to learn from the experts with MIT who can connect me with digital language learning resource creators to further develop appropriate coding solutions to this game. 

By providing mentorship and guidance, I can use this game to further aide in the revitalization of my own language, and the language of the land of the communities represented in this version, as well as future versions for other Indigenous languages.

Kyle Napier is Dene/nêhiyaw Métis, and a language learner of both Denededlıne Yatı and nêhiyawêwin. Both Kyle and Elder Eileen Beaver are Denededlıne Yatı. Elder Eileen Beaver is a fluent speaker of the language, Kyle Napier is the videogame designer. Both Elder Eileen Beaver and Kyle Napier are co-founders of DeneQuest.

This videogame supports a broader interest in learning Dene. This tool counters issues of accessibilit by bridging the land to learner in digital spaces. By fostering a space where learners can engage with the language, such learners are encouraged to ask further questions about the language. The goal of this project is not to change the market, but rather, to change the language speaking environment. The game takes place across Tu Nedhe, but the language is spoken in a dozen or so communities outside the area of gameplay for this version of DeneQuest.

Appropriately, this game will catalyze a further interest among these other Denesuline speaking communities. Initial funding in this game will also provide the seed work for developing a nêhiyawêwin (or Cree) version of the game. With funding to support Cree language learning, I can then develop this game for a language group with 65,000 speakers. Notably, I am prioritizing Denesuline because there are drastically fewer speakers than Cree — and thus, the Denesuline language needs more attention.

Over the next year, I plan to continually translate and record narrations for this videogame. After the translation and recording stage, this game will then be released for free to the public. The game is designed specifically for grades 3-12 classrooms in the South Slave of the Northwest Territories. The communities represented in this region loosely inform the playable communities in the game. 

By working with, and representing community, I further encourage the player to engage in real-world scenarios of language learning. I also further encourage the player to re-population Rocher River, a former community from which many Denesuline-speaking Elders are descended. The development of this game will then further branch in to Cree, which will allow for translation still based on this region. 

The Denededline Yati-speaking Elders in the South Slave of the NWT are connected to Rocher River. This videogame represents a gift to them, of coming home, and reimagining communities, as represented in the language of the land.

For the first year, I am measuring progress by the number of community members who want to provide recordings for narrations.

By the time of release, I will measure progress by assessing the rates of interest among Dene youth in community who want to speak the language. Such will be theoretically catalyzed by Indigenous language learners and speakers who are community youth. If there is an increase among Dene youth to want to learn and speak Denededline, than this project is a success. If there are success stories, then I can begin to develop this language learning resource in other Indigenous languages. 

Namely, the goal of this game is to foster an interest among Dene youth to want to learn to speak Denededline Yati (t-dialect Denesuline). If there are more speakers, or more people interested in speaking, then this game is a success. 

This theory of change is informed by Digital Critical Language Pedagogies.

Activities: develop an accessible language learning resource for learners of Denededline Yati (t-dialect Denesuline) with community; translate, record, distribute the videogame; continue coding with an Indigenous coder, and with Indigenous artists

Outputs: Develop DeneQuest: Inkoze as a language learning resource which promotes Dene language learning, speaking, and interest among youth

Short-term Outcomes: Video-game supports assessable, accessible language learning and speaking among youth, and community members.

Long-term Outcomes: Denededline Yati achieves broader fluency among communities, for more generations to come. Because of a fostered interest among youth who want to engage more fully with the game, such youth are further catalyzed into wanting to learn and speak their Indigenous languages. 

This game is supported by RPGMaker MV (which runs in Javascript), and will be playable on Macs, PCs, iOs platforms, and Linux if necessary. There are very few barriers to downloading this game. 

This game will be available as an app, and a downloadable executive file for personal computers — all for free!

All of paid the staff are Indigenous. All of the artists on the team are Indigenous women. The Elder leading the project is an Indigenous woman. 

I am taking an approach which prioritizes those who are most interested in revitalizing Denededline Yati, which are generally Indigenous women. I am also deliberately seeking Indigenous (Dene) men to include in this project, for voicing and narration, so they too feel the responsibility of language maintenance in language reclamation. 

This game is free to play to the public. As of yet, I am just applying for grant funding. I have received funding from the South Slave Divisional Education Council (the regional school district which will eventually use this resource as a language learning tool), and TakingITGlobal (who have provided funding and connections to Dene artists and Elder support). 

I will continually apply for grants to sustain this project. The goal is that this game will be available to all learners of Denededline Yati for free, with no barriers to cost. Such will depend also on contracts with regional education councils and schools, though those contracts are minimal. 

This project has so far received around $35,000 to support two years of work.

This project is made sustainable by the hearts of the dedicated community members who want to see this project come to life as a language learning resource. Grants are made through the generous donations of participating organizations. Many individuals are willing to offer their time for free. I am running this project at a deficit, but am pouring all of my time into this as a language learning mentee, an aspiring game designer, and a member of the Dene language learning community. 

I have so far received $32,500 from the South Slave Divisional Education Council, which has supported two years of game development, and $2500 from TakingITGlobal, which has allowed for the support of funding a Dene artist, and continually supporting the lead Elder on the project, Elder Eileen Beaver.