Wikipetcia Atikamekw Nehiromowin

2017– | Nathalie Casemajor, Thérèse Ottawa and others | Otapi School of Manawan (Canada), Wikimedia Canada, Institut national de la recherche scientifique (Canada),

The project aims to support the creation of an Atikamekw-language version of Wikipedia to support the cultural, linguistic and territorial transmission of this First Nation of Quebec. Based on an action-research and partnership approach, it promotes linguistic and cultural diversity on open knowledge platforms. The aim is twofold: to offer the community a tool to document and share its knowledge in its mother tongue, while analysing the tensions between inclusion, autonomy and the norms of digital ecosystems. Initiated in 2017 at the Otapi Secondary School (Manawan) by a teacher and a German linguist, the Atikamekw Wikipedia now includes nearly 2,000 articles written by community members, including young people, teachers, seniors, and technolinguists. The development of the project has mobilised numerous participatory initiatives: translation of the interface, terminological validation by the Atikamekw Linguistic Institute, writing workshops, field trips, photo hunting, digitisation of archives and language recordings. The project also led to the creation of one of the first “Wiki Clubs” in Quebec. All these activities have stimulated young people’s participation through digital tools. The project has been widely disseminated via public events, conferences, blogs and media reports, and has led to critical reflection on sensitive knowledge and its exposure on the Web. The project’s success is based on the close collaboration between the Atikamekw community of Manawan, Wikimedia Canada and university researchers. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed with the Nation’s representatives to govern the collaboration within the project. Discussions led to the adaptation of Wikipedia’s free license to exclude certain sensitive cultural content, such as ritual or medicinal knowledge. The project illustrates how a global digital platform can become a local tool for linguistic revitalisation and cultural sovereignty.