Language & Culture

Providing Language & Culture Support for the Community

Language & Culture

We strive to make sure our language and culture integrated and alive in our community. The Gwa’sala and ‘Nakwaxda’xw have our own language dialects: Gwa’cala and ‘Na‘kwala. These dialects are also referred to as Bak̓wa̱mk̓ala”.

Lucy Hemphill

Language Revitalization Program Coordinator

Jaymyn La Vallee

Interim Language Program Coordinator & Language Teacher

Arynn King

Teaching Assistant and Administration

DEPARTMENT Services
Department Goals

We need to keep our language alive and it has been identified by community members as the most important cultural issue for us to address. Our language is endangered because we have so few speakers left in our community that works to keep the language alive and in daily use”(Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw Comprehensive Community Plan, 2016)

The Language Revitalization Program Coordinator works in accordance with the GNN CCP to support and coordinate all Bak̓wa̱mk̓ala language revitalization programs in the Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw community. They also seek external funding, support Elder-speakers, and work with the community to develop a plan to ensure Bak̓wa̱mk̓ala is a strong living language.

Language Resources

Pronunciation

Gwa’sala
gwah-sah-la

(the a’s sound like the a in “father”)

’Nakwaxda’xw’
nock-wock-doe

(said quickly)

Tsulquate
sull-kwah-tee
(try making a t sound before the initial s, if you can. Sull rhymes with dull)
 
Gila’kasla
Means “Thank you”/ “Welcome”
gay-la-key-us-la

(say the key and us parts quickly, together)

Wik’sas?
Means “How are you?” when talking to an individual
week-suss

Ix’man
Means “I’m fine”
eek-mun

FirstVoices is a suite of web-based tools and services designed to support Indigenous people engaged in language archiving, language teaching and culture revitalization.