PLUMMER, Idaho—Tired of searching for Native media or losing your videos among the millions of random YouTube pieces?
With the launch of RezKast [1], Native Americans no longer need to waste time looking for Native-themed videos on YouTube. The Coeur d'Alene Tribe launched RezKast, a Native content site, in July with hopes of preserving the Native culture, history and language before they disappear.
"Of course there is always the entertainment factor," said Valerie Fast Horse, the Coeur d'Alene Tribe's IT director. "What's an Indian community without entertainment and laughter?"
With the help of a USDA grant and some assistance from the tribe, a staff of about four is learning the skills to upload video stories from their community. Fast Horse said they recognize that there are other video sharing sites out there, but she wanted to simplify the search.
"It's hard to sort through the thousands of videos [on YouTube] looking for Native content," Fast Horse said. "RezKast is our solution to aggregating Native content, be it music, video, photos, or more."