How much do you know about the 撸奶社区people on whose land we reside?
The Skwxw煤7mesh 脷xwumixw, (撸奶社区people and Nation) are Indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast.
The traditional 撸奶社区territories extend from Stelk谩ya (Robert鈥檚 Creek, between Sechelt and Gibson鈥檚), down to Elksen (Point Grey), throughout the whole Burrard Inlet, up through Atl鈥檏谩7tsem (Howe Sound), up the Skwxw煤7mesh Stakw (撸奶社区River) and the Ch鈥檌y谩kmesh Stakw(Cheakamus River), Elaho Valley, land up past Whistler and includes Indian Arm.
The 撸奶社区Nation has 3,600 registered members.
Members live mostly in West Vancouver, North Vancouver and within the District of Squamish.
Up until 150 years ago, 撸奶社区people spoke the Skwxw煤7mesh Sn铆chim (撸奶社区Language).
The 撸奶社区people鈥檚 way of life was then forcefully changed with colonization.
All Skwxw煤7mesh Sn铆chim (撸奶社区Language), ceremonies, potlucks and powwows were banned.
The 撸奶社区language today is being revived, but is spoken by about 1% of聽 撸奶社区people.
With great sadness, the Nation recently put to rest the final known original speaker, Alex Williams, who died Jan. 18.
Those of us who want to learn the 撸奶社区Language are all so grateful to the elders, chiefs, councillors and leaders, who have protected the Sn铆chim (language) and culture.
A few anthropologists and linguistics have worked alongside a few locals and collected Skwxw煤7mesh words, sentences and legends, traditions and culture.
German anthropologist, Franz Boas, was the first to write a collection of Skwxw煤7mesh words in the 1800s.
No records exist of who the words came from.
In 1956, a Dutch linguist, Aert H Kuipers wrote the first comprehensive grammar.
In 1967, 鈥�The 撸奶社区Language: Grammar, Text, & Dictionary鈥� was first published.
In 1968, the B.C. Native Language Project began. Randy Bouchard and Dorothy Kennedy were the main collaborators on this project and they developed the writing system that we use today for the 撸奶社区Language.
I would like to see the number of 撸奶社区speakers rise.
It all starts at home.
With the help of his auntie and me, my son will be one of the first of the next generation of fluent Skwxw煤7mesh speakers. My sibling is also going to university to learn our language.聽 She speaks to my son and he prefers Skwxw煤7mesh Sn铆chim, over Xwel铆ten (English).
Chelachatanat is North and South American, Ojibwa and a 撸奶社区Nation member.
