A catalog and online archive of the indigenous languages of California, western North America, and the Americas

How to Use the California Language Archive

This page describes how to:

Using the Map to Find Audio and Written Material

From the CLA homepage, click on the map on the right labeled "Explore collections". This will take you to the explore page.

On the explore page, you'll see a map legend on the upper right describing what the various pins mean. The pane below the legend shows information about an item when you click on a pin in the map on the left.

Find a location you're interested in on the map, for example San Francisco. Click on one of the pins, and take a look at the information in the pane below the legend. Beside the item number (in the form of "LA ###.#"), you'll see "description" which links to a webpage that will show you information about the item.

Click on this link, and you'll be taken to the item description page for that item, which will show you information about the item and a map showing the locations associated with that item. Above this information, you may see a tab called either "Audio Segments (##)" or "Digital Images (##)". These refer either to audio or written material.

Finding Audio Material

The California Language Archive (CLA) incorporates audio material formerly catalogued by the Berkeley Language Center (BLC).

To start finding audio material, go to the CLA homepage.

Type in the first few letters of the language you're searching for. For example, if you're searching for Maidu, just type in "mai" and wait for a menu with choices to appear below where you're typing. When the language you're looking for appears, click on it. Next, click the radio button beside "Audio only" underneath where you typed the name of the language. Finally, click on the orange "Go" button.

The search results page shows the collections that have audio related to the language you searched for. You can click on one of the collection names to see more information about that collection, including which items it contains. You can also click on the "Items" tab above the collection search results. This will take you directly to all the items that match your search, regardless of which collection they belong to. If you're following along, click on the "Items" tab.

Next, you'll find a list of items pertaining to the language you searched for. Beside the item number (in the form of "LA ###.#"), you'll see "description" which will show you information about the item, including a map showing the locations associated with the item. You'll also see "## audio segments" beside the item number. This link will take you directly to the audio segments you'd like to listen to. If you're following along, click on "## audio segments".

Now you'll see information about the group of audio recordings you selected along with a numbered list of audio segments that you will be able to listen to online. Note that sometimes audio recordings are listed, but may not be available online because of access restrictions or because the audio has not yet been digitized. When you find a segment you'd like to listen to, you'll see a note at the bottom that says "This audio recording is only available to registered users; please log in." See the instructions below on how to register and log in.

Once you've logged in, you can click "Play MP3" to hear the audio online. If this doesn't work, you may need to update your browser with the latest version of Adobe Flash.

Finding Written Material

To start finding written material, go to the CLA homepage.

Type in the first few letters of the language you're searching for. For example, if you're searching for Maidu, just type in "mai" and wait for a menu with choices to appear below where you're typing. When the language you're looking for appears, click on it. Next, click on the orange "Go" button.

The search results page shows the collections that have written materials related to the language you searched for. You can click on one of the collection names to see more information about that collection, including which items it contains. You can also click on the "Items" tab above the collection search results. This will take you directly to all the items that match your search, regardless of which collection they belong to. If you're following along, click on the "Items" tab.

Next, you'll find a list of items pertaining to the language you searched for. Beside the item number (in the form of "Name.###" or "LA ###.#"), you'll see "description" which will show you information about the item, including a map showing the locations associated with the item. You may also see "## images" beside the item number. This link will take you directly to digital images of the item you'd like to view. If you're following along, click on "## images" next to the item you'd like to view if it is available. (If images are not available, we have not scanned the item yet, and you will have to view the item in person or request hard copies.)

Now you'll see information about the item you selected along with a numbered list of images that you will be able to view online. When you find an image you'd like to see, click on the link and at the top of the following page, you'll see a note that says "You must log in to view images." See the instructions below on how to register and log in. Once you've logged in, you'll be taken back automatically to the image you were trying to view. You can return to the list of all images for that item by clicking at the top of the page on "list all" in "# of ### images (list all)".

Registering for an Account and Logging In

If you don't already have an account (or if you forgot your account name or password), you can register for another account here. If you remember your account name and password from the Survey of California and Other Indian Languages website, you can use that.

On the registration page, enter a username and a password, and retype your password in the "Confirm Password" text box. You can optionally enter your name, affiliation (for example, institution or tribe), and email address. Finally, click the check box next to "Yes, I accept the Terms and Conditions of Use" and then click the Save Changes button. You will now be logged in.

When you visit the site later, you may not be logged in anymore. To log in, go to the log in page. Enter your username and password and check the box next to "Yes, I accept the Terms and Conditions of Use". Click the Log In button. You will either be taken to another page, indicating that you've logged in successfully, or you will be returned to the log in page. Be sure you've entered the correct username and password and checked the box and then click the Log In button again.

When you're done registering and logging in, you can go back to searching for audio or written materials.

Contact Us

If you have questions or comments regarding the California Language Archive, please email scoil-ling@berkeley.edu.