🎤 "Maaya T’aan 3.0: Let the Language of the Land Speak Again"

📡 "Maya Mode Activated: Bringing Yucatec into the Algorithmic Future"

May 31, 2025

A feel-good, feel-real project to give back to the land that gives you sunsets, cenotes, and ayahuasca clarity

Tulum is many things: a vortex, a playground, a portal — and for the digital elite floating between Bali and Ibiza, it’s become the ultimate sandbox for crypto, wellness, and next-gen consciousness.

But while you're sipping your matcha-latte in Aldea Zama and debating DAO governance, the language of the original guardians of this land — Maaya t'aan, Yucatec Maya — continues to be neglected by every major AI model on the planet.

No ElevenLabs voice.
No Google Translate support.
No voice synthesis for kids growing up speaking it at home.

Yet over 800,000 people still speak this living language. It deserves better.

🌱 What if we changed that — together?

Let’s co-create the first open-source Yucatec Maya TTS (Text-to-Speech) system — trained locally, ethically, and with community benefit at its core.

A project rooted in tech-for-good, cultural restoration, and practical impact.

This isn’t just a gesture. It’s an invitation to act in a way that aligns with the land we’re inhabiting. A project where blockchain devs, sound designers, AI researchers, linguists, and Mayan elders collaborate for real.

🔥 Here's how we can make it happen:

1. Tech Nomads: Bring Your Stack

You know who you are. Coders, audio freaks, AI whisperers, GPT-4 fine-tuners. Let’s adapt Coqui TTS or ESPnet-TTS to a new language — with heart.

2. Local Allies & Language Keepers

Universidad de Oriente (UNO) in Valladolid — active in Maya linguistics.
INALI (Instituto Nacional de Lenguas Indígenas) — government org with resources and alignment.
UADY (Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán) — has archives, linguists, and social outreach.
Mayáa Foundation and Ko’one’ex Foundation — grassroots orgs in Yucatán supporting Mayan identity.
Baktún Pueblo Maya — youth-led language activism and media.
Radio Yúuyum — broadcasting in Mayan for over a decade.
Elder speakers & storytellers from Tulum, Felipe Carrillo Puerto, and beyond.

3. Corpus Creators & Content Collectors

We need recorded Mayan audio + transcriptions:

Community radio clips
Public domain Bible recordings (e.g. Biblia Ich Maaya)
Spoken Maya language courses (like the University of Chicago’s open lessons)
Oral storytelling archives
Interviews from local media

💡 Why it matters

AI is shaping who gets heard. If Maya isn’t included, it gets erased from future digital landscapes.

But if we make the first voice model — and make it public, ethical, and free — we’re planting something powerful.

A voice for the language of the cenotes.
A voice that teaches, welcomes, heals.

And yeah — it’d feel damn good.

🧠 Want to get involved?

I’m assembling a list of:

Coders (especially with Coqui, PyTorch, or NLP experience)
Locals who speak Yucatec Maya (especially elders or educators)
Organizations willing to co-host a training sprint or “AI for Mayan” workshop
Donors, media allies, and translators

Let’s build the first open-source AI voice in Yucatec Maya — right here, from Tulum.

Not as a brand. Not for profit. But as a shared offering to the land we benefit from.

We have the tools: AI, code, mics, passion.
The locals have the language, the stories, the spirit.

Let’s bridge the two — respectfully, collaboratively, and beautifully.

#MXTM

📩 Reply to this post or reach out, join our nascent conscious Telegram channel: https://t.me/Tulum_Cognitati

#MayaTTS + #AIForGood + #FromTulumWithCode
#GiveBackTulum + #VoiceForTheVoiceless + #MaayaTaan
#TulumTech + #IndigenousVoicesMatter + #BuildLocalSpeakGlobal
Currently, there are limited options for converting English text into Maaya T’aan (Yucatec Maya) speech. While some tools offer basic translations and audio features, comprehensive text-to-speech (TTS) solutions for Maaya T’aan are still in development.
🔊 Available Resources for Maaya T’aan Audio
1. ImTranslator.net
  - Provides Yucatec Maya translation services with some text-to-speech capabilities.
  - Note: The TTS feature may not cover all phrases or offer high-quality audio.
  - 🔗 https://imtranslator.net/translation/Yucatec-Maya/translation/
2. Yucatec Maya Translator App
  - An educational app designed to facilitate language learning and translation.
  - Features include user-friendly interface and real-time translations.
  - Available on Android devices.
  - 🔗 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bj.yucatecmayatranslator play.google.com
3. Scripture Earth
  - Offers audio recordings of the Bible in Yucatec Maya, which can be useful for language learners.
  - 🔗 https://www.scriptureearth.org/00i-Scripture_Index.php?iso=yua scriptureearth.org
4. MegaVoice
  - Provides audio Bible stories for children in Yucatec Maya, performed by kids.
  - 🔗 https://megavoice.com/media-cloud/m1014396-bible-for-children-text-yua-maya-yucatec-document-bible/ megavoice.com
🔍 Limitations and Considerations
- Limited TTS Support: Maaya T’aan is not widely supported in mainstream TTS platforms like Google Translate or Microsoft Azure Speech Services.
- Quality of Audio: Existing tools may offer basic audio playback, but the pronunciation and naturalness might not be optimal.
- Dialect Variations: Maaya T’aan has regional dialects, and TTS tools may not account for these differences.
📌 Recommendations
- Use Available Tools: Leverage the resources mentioned above for basic translations and audio playback.
- Consult Native Speakers: For accurate pronunciation and understanding, consider reaching out to native Maaya T’aan speakers or language experts.
- Stay Updated: As technology evolves, more comprehensive TTS solutions for Maaya T’aan may become available.
If you need assistance with specific phrases or further guidance on learning Maaya T’aan, feel free to ask! (chatgpt)

🗣️ Text-to-Speech (TTS) for Maaya T’aan (Yucatec Maya)

As of now, there are no fully developed, high-quality TTS tools for Maaya T’aan (Yucatec Maya) comparable to what's available for major world languages. However, some partial solutions exist—primarily in the form of basic audio playback, educational apps, and religious recordings.

🔊 Existing Audio & Partial TTS Resources

ImTranslator.net
Offers English-to-Yucatec Maya translations, sometimes with basic audio playback. Best for simple phrases.
🔗 https://imtranslator.net/translation/Yucatec-Maya/translation/
Yucatec Maya Translator App (Android)
A free mobile app for Android that includes basic translation features and limited voice support for vocabulary.
🔗 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bj.yucatecmayatranslator
Scripture Earth – Audio Bible in Yucatec Maya
Features Bible passages in Maaya T’aan, professionally recorded. Useful for listening to fluent pronunciation.
🔗 https://www.scriptureearth.org/00i-Scripture_Index.php?iso=yua
MegaVoice – Bible for Children in Maaya T’aan
Audio stories for kids, voiced in Yucatec Maya. A rare source of native pronunciation in a non-instructional context.
🔗 https://megavoice.com/media-cloud/m1014396-bible-for-children-text-yua-maya-yucatec-document-bible/

⚠️ Limitations

Not true TTS: These are recordings or apps with fixed phrases—not dynamic text-to-speech systems.
Lack of widespread support: Mainstream platforms like Google, Apple, and Microsoft do not yet support Maaya T’aan.
Dialect sensitivity: The language has regional variants; recordings may reflect only one.

🛠️ Recommendations

Use existing resources for basic listening and pronunciation practice.
Partner with local speakers or linguists if you need natural audio for creative or activist projects.
Consider contributing to the development of open-source TTS tools in Maaya T’aan using community voice banks (e.g., through Common Voice by Mozilla or similar platforms).

If you’re working on building tools for decolonial tech, digital justice, or Indigenous language preservation, this is an area ripe for collaboration and innovation. Let’s amplify voices—literally.