how to archive your language and other matters

[Brian Levy <xernaut@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hello all,

I would like to introduce myself.  My name is Brian Levy, and I work
with the Caddo Indian Tribe of Oklahoma as a Cultural Preservation
Activist (for wont of a better title to describe my job).  Basically
I am helping the tribe create a permanent archive of songs, dances, oral
history in English, and, quite importantly, since the tribe is down to
only about twenty fluent speakers of the language now, we are recording
to DAT all manner of Caddo language, including stories, monologues,
prayers, conversation, etc.  We are creating a master archive of
Caddo audio materials, recording older analog recordings on reel to reel
and analog cassette, to CD directly, and copying all DAT tapes made since
we began using DAT two years ago, also to CD.  We make on blue dye
copy on Mitsui media (home audio type, not CDR computer type, using a
Harmon Kardon CDR2 machine, we also make one gold dye Kodak CD home audio
copy for a second copy of our archive housed at a archive in
Oklahoma.  A third copy is also made on the same Mitsui blue dye
(silver) CD's.  We may soon switch to just using computer CDR's
instead of the home audio type, since Tascam makes a machine for under
100 dollars which is high quality and recommended.  I consult with
others doing similar work to this, and I am on this and other
lists.  I am trying to determine the archivability of this
strategy.  We have 110 CD's so far, and no stop in sight, as we have
tons of analog recordings to migrate, and are constantly making new DAT
recording.  
We have a huge quantity of old Beta, VHS, Hi8, Super8, and now we use
Sony TCR-320 Digital 8 cams for all videoing of elders and dances. 
We are waiting to know what is best for permanent archivability for
these.  I am guessing DVD-Rom burners, as opposed to DVD-Ram or
such.  But listening to some of your pros on these list servers, I
am wondering.  We do not have the budget to buy equipment costing
50k now, we are very limited on budget, though we might could get a grant
to use better equipment.  
I am just wondering what any of your folks also concerned with permanent
archivability of precious materials, both audio and video, would have to
say on our situation.  I would appreciate some advice.  
Some have suggested computer hard drive storage.  Some have said
(such as the Getty Museum in LA, and the Library of Congress, that no
current digital medium is considered archival.  Only old reel to
reel tapes quarter inch, are considered time safe.  Since who knows,
they argue, if any CD players will even be available in 500 years,
whereas due to the wide use of reel to reel all during twentieth century
by broadcast media etc, it will still be playable.  Plus when audio
tapes deteriorate on analog reel to reel they gradually degrade in
quality at playback, whereas, once digital degrades too far, the machines
can no longer decipher the one's and zero's and play the CD back at
all.  
I know this is a long posting, but I wanted to introduce myself and the
work we are doing at the Caddo tribe, and hopefully get some guidance
from some more technically savvy folk...
Thanks.

      Brian Levy

------------------------------------------
Brian Levy
Cultural Activist
Kiwat Hasinay Foundation:
Preserving Caddo Heritage
211 W. Colorado Ave.
Anadarko, OK  73005  USA
(1) 405-247-5840