Large Language Model Translation of Indigenous Languages

The territory known as Canada is home to an incredible diversity of Indigenous languages. Before settler contact, it was estimated that there were anywhere between 300 and 450 Indigenous languages and dialects, belonging to 11 language families [1] . These languages were distinct in nature, with unique properties and dialects that spanned from coast to coast. In current times, the diversity of Indigenous languages in Canada has dropped dramatically, with census data from 2021 revealing only around 70 Indigenous languages remain spoken today, and the number of Indigenous people that could speak an Indigenous language at a conversational level has declined by 4.3% from 2016 [2] . Of these languages, approximately 57% have fewer than 500 active speakers [2] , indicating the desperate need for intervention to preserve and revitalize these languages. This decline of Indigenous language transmission in Canada can be attributed to historic, and ongoing systemic factors related to colonization, such as residential schools and the Indian Act [3] . Despite over a century and a half of oppressive governmental policies aimed at destroying Indigenous languages, Indigenous communities are dedicated to revitalizing and reclaiming their language and culture [3] .