Gmail – now in Cherokee

Google search in Cherokee has been around for a while. Now Cherokee is available in Gmail too!

Both include a virtual keyboard that you can use to type the writing system invented by Sequoyah. The project arose when the Oklahoma Cherokee population found that no one under 40 spoke conversational Cherokee. The Cherokee Nation decided to use new technology to get more people interested and using the language.

As Joseph Erb, Language Technologist at the Cherokee Nation put it, “Projects like these give more life to our language in our communities. It is not just about preserving our language and culture. It is about using our language each day and every day and continuing who we are as a people. And this give us that chance each time we check our email.” (Source: Gmail blog)

Cherokee is one of 57 languages that Gmail supports. Why not try it in French to help support your French classes in New York?