Seminole State College will host an Artificial Intelligence Symposium on Thursday, Sept. 26, exploring AI’s innovative role in preserving and revitalizing Native American languages. The symposium is sponsored by SSC’s Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions (NASNTI) federal grant.
The event’s keynote speaker, Deidre Holmberg, Principal Tech Education Strategist at Amazon Web Services will deliver an address titled “GenAI and Education” from 10:10 to 11:15 a.m. in the Jeff Johnston Auditorium. The keynote will focus on generative AI’s growing role in education. Holmberg is an expert of the intersection of education and cloud technology. Her contributions to science and technology education have earned her a place in the Pacific Science Center Hall of Fame.
The event will also feature three breakout sessions under the theme The Methods of AI in Preserving and Revitalizing Native Language. Breakouts will begin at 11:30 a.m. Each session will take place at the SSC Library and will rotate three times, with limited spots available.
These sessions are facilitated by speakers who bring vast experience in AI and Native language preservation:
Paula Starr, the Chief Information Officer of the Cherokee Nation, leads an IT department that supports 5,000 employees across the Cherokee reservation and provides service to 460,000 citizens worldwide. She has been recognized among the Top 100 Women in Technology in Technology Magazine. Her session is titled “AI Strategy in Tribal Government: Preparing for the Unimaginable Future.” The session will explore how large-scale technology operations can support language visibility and preservation.
Renita DiStefano, the founder and CEO of Second Derivative, will address AI’s role in safeguarding Native American intellectual property in her session titled “The Importance of Data Sovereignty and Data Governance.” DiStefano has built a distinguished career in IT and cybersecurity and holds multiple industry certifications. She is a member of the Seneca Nation.
Sean Muir, founder and executive director of iStory, will speak on engaging Indigenous youth with difficult social and health topics through storytelling and visual media. His session is titled “Preserving Language with Indigenous Content: Graphic Novels and Motion Comics.” His organization has sold over half a million books and received the President’s Award from the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention for its work in language retention and suicide literacy.
The symposium is part of SSC’s broader initiative under the NASNTI program, which aims to empower Native American communities by providing educational resources that leverage modern technologies like AI. Last year, SSC received a supplemental grant under this program specifically for the revitalization of Native languages, and the symposium is a major step in this ongoing effort. SSC’s NASNTI program provides funding for various projects designed to meet the unique needs of Native American students at SSC, a nontribal institution with a significant Native American student population.
“The event’s key objectives are to educate rural communities on the potential effects of AI,” NASNTI Director Kay Wallace said. “We want to share strategies for increasing the visibility of Native American languages and highlight the pros and cons of AI in protecting Native intellectual property.”
Breakout sessions will occur at 11:30 a.m., 12:20 p.m., and 1:10 p.m. Each session is free, but seating is limited to 30 participants per session.
The NASNTI program is 100% federally funded in the amount of $450,000 annually.
For more information or to reserve a spot, please contact SSC NASNTI at 405-382-9646 or visit the SSC website, sscok.edu.