Saving Indigenous Voices

by The Radio Nerd

This incredible photo is from 1916. Here is Frances Densmore from the Smithsonian recording song and spoken word with Blackfoot Mountain Chief for the Bureau of American Ethnology.

UC Berkley in California has been taking the time to restore this classic audio using optical scan technology. The project, called 'Documenting Endangered Languages' hopes to preserve over 100 hours of audio.

78 Indigenous languages were recorded between 1900-1938, but unfortunately a lot of these languages have gone extinct.

The audio was recorded on 'wax cylinders' but time has made the audio difficult to hear.

Watch the video below to learn about how the team at UC Berkley preserve the audio.