motorola expands indigenous languages initiative with Indigenous Collections app

Motorola, in collaboration with the Lenovo Foundation, continues to advance its commitment to inclusion and “smarter technology for all” with the next phase of its Indigenous Languages Initiative, with the introduction of the Indigenous Collections app.

Building on years of work to bring endangered languages into the digital world, Motorola is now partnering with the Rainy Lake Ojibwe community and Connected North to introduce the new app designed to preserve and celebrate the Indigenous language and the cultural heritage it carries. This app is designed to support Indigenous language and cultural revitalization by bringing together stories, landmarks, and family knowledge in one accessible platform. In the context of the Ojibwe community, it will help to preserve Ojibwe stories, geographical histories, and family heritage while highlighting key vocabulary and cultural context, helping users understand not only the words but the meanings and teachings embedded within them.

Our community-centered approach respects that certain knowledge is sacred to communities, reinforcing the decision to only include publicly-shareable cultural knowledge as well as having the family tree shareable only as an image directly by the user. Indigenous Collections will be made available in Google Play Store free of charge for all Android users.

This milestone marks the latest step in a journey that began in 2021, when Motorola became the first OEM to fully support an endangered Amazon Indigenous language on smartphones user interface: Nheengatu. Since then, the initiative has expanded globally, bringing languages such as Kaingang, Cherokee, Māori, Kangri, Kuvi, Ladin, and most recently Zapotec, into mobile technology through localized interfaces, keyboards, and digital resources.

In alignment with UNESCO’s International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022–2032), Motorola and the Lenovo Foundation have worked alongside communities and experts to digitize endangered languages and make smartphone technology more accessible. To date, nearly two million words across Indigenous and minority languages have been made openly available, enabling broader collaboration across academia and industry while amplifying Indigenous voices worldwide.

a living language, preserved through story
Spoken across regions of the United States and Canada, Ojibwe is spoken by approximately 50,000 people today, with strong communities in Ontario and Manitoba. Although the language remains an important part of Ojibwe cultural identity, the language faces ongoing challenges due to globalization and longstanding prejudice against Indigenous cultures, contributing to a decline in intergenerational transmission.

Recognizing this urgency, Motorola’s next phase focuses not only on language digitization but also on cultural preservation. The Indigenous Collections App was created to document both the language and the stories, traditions, and knowledge it carries, ensuring that future generations can connect with their heritage in meaningful ways. Motorola took a community-first approach, working directly with members of the Rainy Lake Ojibwe community rather than relying solely on academic institutions. This approach ensured that the app was shaped by the voices and priorities of the people it represents.

co-creating technology with the Ojibwe Community
Over the course of a year, Motorola collaborated closely with Ojibwe language instructor Jason Jones and Dr. Anton Treuer, a respected author and Professor of Ojibwe at Bemidji State University. Together with community elders, they recorded, transcribed, and translated traditional stories and personal narratives, which now form the foundation of the app.

This process reflects an important evolution in Motorola’s Digital Inclusion of Indigenous Languages Initiative: In addition to co-creating the tools for preservation of indigenous languages in technology, this unique platform allows communities to digitize their language in the context of stories, landmarks, and family histories. By collaborating side by side with community members, the project both preserves linguistic elements and captures the cultural narratives embedded within the language.

“The app’s focus on preserving and sharing Ojibwe stories is particularly valuable,” said Dr. Treuer. “Storytelling remains one of the most effective ways to transmit language, cultural knowledge, worldview, and community history. The current collection already represents a meaningful archive, and the planned addition of further stories will increase the long-term significance of the project.”

As new generations become increasingly connected through digital platforms, ensuring that their native languages are represented in written and digital form becomes critical. Mobile technology provides a powerful platform to make Indigenous languages visible, accessible, and valued not only by those who speak them, but by the broader global community.

“Empowering Indigenous communities through technology is central to the Lenovo Foundation’s mission, said Juliana Rebelatto, Motorola Global Director of Globalization. “By supporting initiatives like the Ojibwe App, we’re helping ensure innovation is inclusive, meaningful, and reflective of diverse voices. At Motorola, this commitment continues to evolve as we listen, learn, and build technology that empowers everyone.”

With the introduction of the Indigenous Collections App, Motorola takes another step forward — helping to ensure that Indigenous languages are not only preserved, but also heard, seen, and lived in the digital age.

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About Lenovo Foundation
Lenovo Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Lenovo, a global technology powerhouse serving millions of customers every day in 180 markets. Lenovo Foundation supports Lenovo’s bold vision to deliver Smarter Technology for All through its mission to provide access to technology and STEM education for those who need it most. Lenovo’s continued investment in world-changing innovation recognizes that when technology is powered by humanity, our greatest challenges become our greatest breakthroughs. Learn more about Lenovo’s corporate responsibility initiatives in the latest Environmental, Social and Governance Report.