Cama-i Ellam Yui!
Hello, World!
The title, Cama-i Ellam Yui, is in the Yup’ik language, belonging to the Yup’ik people located in Western Alaska. The Yup’ik language, like many of the world’s indigenous languages, is in danger of fading away - though Yup’ik is the best off of all Alaska Native languages. The reasons that these languages are endangered - and the reasons that these languages matter - are the subject of a whole separate conversation. For now, we must simply accept that this is where we are.
In the computer science and programming community, tutorials are critically important acquiring new skills. When you’re learning a new programming language, you need a chance to learn how some of the basic syntax works before you can dive into some of the harder problems. One of the simplest tasks a program can perform is often displaying a message to the user when it is run. Displaying the message, “Hello, World!” is a quick way to provide the programmer with a verification that everything is in order. This concept is so pervasive that many of these first tutorial programs are referred to as “Hello, World” programs, regardless of what the program actually performs.
Literally translated, cama-i ellam yui means something like “hello everything in existence.” It is the goal of Cama-i Ellam Yui to create electronic means of Yup’ik expression, promote Native values and healthy Native identity, and to generally save the world.
Future posts will announce progress on programs, share upcoming events, and offer discussion on what it means to be Native - among other things. I am also maintaining a Facebook page, available at https://www.facebook.com/CamaiEllamYui. Feel welcome to share your thoughts in either location and forward this on to anyone you think would be interested!