Motorola announced the addition of the language Cherokee to the user interface on phones with Android 12. Framed in an alliance with the Lenovo Foundation, the initiative will debut with the mobile edge 30 Pro.
“With this project, we work to provide a mobile experience that welcomes all our users and collaborates with the conservation of indigenous languages and cultures,” said the US firm.
The decision to include the language, used by a small number of people in communities in Oklahoma and North Carolina, responds to “a commitment to embrace inclusivity as part of its mission to provide smarter technology for all.”
For expert Benjamin E. Frey, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, initiatives like these help bridge the gap between older people who know the language and generations of digital natives.
“We have to make sure that the language continues to be used and spoken. Otherwise, it could disappear,” the academic told the Associated Press agency. Recognized by Motorola as a “key person in this project”, he urged young people to use native languages such as Cherokee in videos and memes, and on platforms and social networks, such as TikTok or YouTube.
Janine Oliveira, executive director of Globalization Software at Motorola Mobility, said the firm’s goal is to research and revitalize endangered indigenous languages, as well as work to bring Cherokee language data into open source.
According to the Lenovo subsidiary, in 2021 it became the first manufacturer to “fully” support two endangered indigenous languages from the Amazon and southern Brazil. Compatible mobile devices make up the moto g family and the new edge range.
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