Mozilla in P’urhépecha: translators’ agency in a software translation project

Abstract

In an effort to preserve and encourage the use of endangered languages, the last decade has witnessed the emergence of transnational projects funded by technology and software development companies such as Google and the Mozilla Foundation. Launched in 2012 by the Mozilla Foundation, the project ‘Native Mozilla’ is aimed at creating a more inclusive digital environment by developing web browsers and applications that will facilitate internet access and use to Latin American indigenous populations. A group of community users, translators, language teachers, developers, activists and other organizations have been particularly active in the translation of Firefox and Firefox Focus, Mozilla’s browsers for PC and Android, in 50 indigenous languages from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, and El Salvador. P’urhépecha is the main indigenous language of the state of Michoacán, Mexico. Spoken by nearly 120 000 speakers is considered as a threatened language. This article focuses on the translation project of Firefox Focus to P’urhépecha that took place from November 2014 to November 2018, and that involved the participation of P’urhépecha language and culture teachers, and students and alumni of the BA in Intercultural Language and Communication. In addition to describing the merits and shortcomings of the project, we will examine the translation and the training process. We will be arguing that the limited literacy in P’urphépecha shaped the role played by the working languages, thus influencing their translation choices and strategies.