A nonprofit initiative in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is introducing customizable robots programmed to teach endangered Indigenous languages to Native American children. The project, called SkoBot, emerged from the inspiration of toy robots that teach English and aims to address the rapid decline of Indigenous language speakers across North America.
Danielle Boyer, a 25-year-old member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, founded the nonprofit when she was 18 to mentor Native youth in building SkoBots. The robots are small, shoulder-mounted devices designed to resemble woodland creatures and decorated with Native American floral patterns. Each SkoBot uses recorded audio files to teach vocabulary and phrases in Indigenous languages, responding to voice commands with accurate pronunciation and cultural context.
One participant in the program is 12-year-old Holden Hoy, also a member of the Sault Tribe, who recently showcased his SkoBot named Sabe at his school’s science fair. Hoy programmed his robot to answer questions in both Anishinaabemowin and English, representing his commitment to preserving the Ojibwe language. The project has attracted hundreds of Native American students across the country, combining language preservation with instruction in robotics, coding, and electrical engineering.
Boyer intentionally avoids using generative AI technology, emphasizing the dangers of unreliable language generation and the importance of protecting sacred Indigenous knowledge. Large language models have been documented creating fabricated words in Anishinaabemowin, which Boyer considers harmful to authentic language learning. Instead, her approach uses prerecorded audio files to ensure accuracy and cultural integrity.
The initiative addresses historical trauma from Indian boarding schools, which systematically suppressed Indigenous languages for generations. By making language learning engaging and interactive through robotics, Boyer aims to increase youth investment in their heritage while developing skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields.
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