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<h1 class="" style="margin:0px 0px 0.5em;padding:0px;font-size:20px;font-family:Verdana,Arial,sans-serif;line-height:24px">Despite limited resources, indigenous-language programs persevere in B.C.</h1></div><div class="" style="margin:0px 0px 20px;padding:0px;font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif;color:rgb(153,153,153);font-style:italic;font-size:12px;line-height:18px">
by <span class="" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-family:Verdana,Arial,sans-serif;font-style:normal;text-transform:uppercase;font-size:10px"><a href="http://www.straight.com/users/stephanie-wood" title="View user profile." class="" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;text-decoration:none;color:rgb(153,153,153);outline:0px;border-bottom-width:1px;border-bottom-style:dotted;border-bottom-color:rgb(153,153,153)">STEPHANIE WOOD</a></span> on <span class="" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-family:Verdana,Arial,sans-serif;font-style:normal;text-transform:uppercase;font-size:10px">JAN 22, 2014</span> at <span class="" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-family:Verdana,Arial,sans-serif;font-style:normal;text-transform:uppercase;font-size:10px">12:05 PM</span></div>
<div class="" style="margin:0px 0px 20px;padding:0px;font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif;color:rgb(153,153,153);font-style:italic;font-size:12px;line-height:18px"><span class="" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-family:Verdana,Arial,sans-serif;font-style:normal;text-transform:uppercase;font-size:10px"><p style="margin:1em 0px;padding:0px;font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-size:14px;line-height:19px;float:none;text-transform:none">
<span class="" style="text-transform:uppercase;margin:0px;padding:0px;font-weight:700">“THE UNIVERSE WAS</span> in darkness.”</p><p style="margin:1em 0px;padding:0px;font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-size:14px;line-height:19px;float:none;text-transform:none">
And with a sudden burst of light, life formed.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px;padding:0px;font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-size:14px;line-height:19px;float:none;text-transform:none">
According to Squamish hereditary chief Ian Campbell, this is a universal story for many people around the world. For the Squamish people, it was a box of light that Raven and Seagull opened “with the breath of life”.</p><p style="margin:1em 0px;padding:0px;font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-size:14px;line-height:19px;float:none;text-transform:none">
Since this birth of their first ancestors, Campbell says, Squamish mythology and history has emphasized a rhythm of flourishing, crashing, and building up again, particularly the societal “crash” experienced with the Great Flood following the most recent ice age.</p>
<p style="margin:1em 0px;padding:0px;font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-size:14px;line-height:19px;float:none;text-transform:none">In regards to language and culture, the chief argues that his people are in a chapter of building up slowly again.</p>
<p style="margin:1em 0px;padding:0px;font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-size:14px;line-height:19px;float:none;text-transform:none">With only about 10 fluent speakers of Squamish (a Coast Salish language) remaining—among many other endangered indigenous languages in British Columbia—one can see that First Nations face immense challenges following colonization. Some languages, like Halkomelem, have a couple of hundred speakers but are still vulnerable to decline. Others, such as Penlatch from Vancouver Island, already have no speakers.</p>
<p style="margin:1em 0px;padding:0px;font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-size:14px;line-height:19px;float:none;text-transform:none">“If you think about it,” Campbell explains, “colonization is just like a modern flood.”</p>
<p style="margin:1em 0px;padding:0px;font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-size:14px;line-height:19px;float:none;text-transform:none">Access full article below: </p><div><a href="http://www.straight.com/news/572066/despite-limited-resources-indigenous-language-programs-persevere-bc">http://www.straight.com/news/572066/despite-limited-resources-indigenous-language-programs-persevere-bc</a><br>
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