Keeping a voice alive (fwd)

[Phil CashCash]

Keeping a voice alive
Squamish Nation puts together CD-ROM to teach its language
 
By Todd Lawson
Reporter
http://www.squamishchief.com/madison%5CWQuestion.nsf/SClocal/84FBCC402C1DBF7A88256DBB006371DF?OpenDocument
 
In the early 19th century, the Squamish Valley was populated with 16,000
First Nations peoples who lived with a deep respect and understanding
of the land and spirits around them. Through a culture of tradition and
celebration, the natives forged a strong bond between each other as
time passed.

To communicate with members from other tribes and strengthen this
connection, the natives developed a rich language called Skomish
Snachem – a language that has nearly been wiped out from a
once-thriving culture.

When the Europeans came to settle in the valley in the early 1800s, they
brought with them diseases that had never before been experienced by
the natives — not to mention a steadfast desire to eradicate Native
culture altogether. Traditional longhouses, a meeting ground for
ceremonies and rituals, were burnt to the ground. Potlatch gatherings
were disallowed and speaking in their native tongue was strictly
forbidden. Those who were caught speaking Skomish Snachem were beaten
and whipped by church and government officials.

As a result of disease and constant abuse, a proud and healthy society
was, in a matter of years, decimated to just 320 survivors. The
remaining populace, represented by 16 different tribes, formed the
Squamish Nation in 1923 and struggled to keep their way of life in a
white man’s world.

Along with the language, a culture began to die.

Today however, fuelled by the desire to keep the traditional language
from becoming extinct, a group of Squamish First Nations locals have
collaborated on a history-making learning tool to prevent this tragedy
from happening.

Spearheaded by Shirley Lewis, a language and culture worker at Totem
Hall, a unique Squamish Nation Education CD-ROM has been produced to
teach the Skomish Snachem language to anyone willing to learn.

“When I first started working for the education department, I saw the
need to revitalize our traditional language,” said Lewis. “We need to
save part of our culture. The language is almost extinct and if we
don’t do something now it will be gone.”

Her vision was shared by Totem Hall Education Director Joy Joseph
McCullough, and together they started the intensive project after
receiving funding from the First Peoples Heritage and Language Culture
Council.

Lewis quickly came to realize, producing an accurate, user-friendly
learning device is not an easy task. She decided to get some help, and
began by enlisting the expertise of local photography/media expert Dave
Humphreys as project manager, who would oversee the many different
multi-media aspects involved.

Humphreys became involved in the project as a result of attending First
Nations gatherings — drum circles, sweat lodges and fire-walking
ceremonies, at every opportunity possible.

“When they approached me with the idea, I was definitely interested
because it was something completely new,” said Humphreys, who was
responsible for everything from conceptional ideas to working with
“super-talented” local software developer Peter Wellnhofer, to
organizing native art, photography, graphic design and printing and
packaging.

“I learned to take things one step at a time,” said Humphreys. “There
were so many different aspects involved—it was a huge project. It was
an honour to work with the Squamish First Nations and help them build
something that they’re proud of. The storytelling was amazing, and for
them to share their legends with me was really honourable—they’re very
kind-hearted people.”

The CD-ROM features strong visuals and a bold, easy-to-follow layout
geared towards anyone with even the most basic computer skills. By
simply clicking the mouse on any English word you would like to learn
in Skomish Snachem, an image appears followed by the voice of any one
of the three Squamish Nation elders who provide the translated word in
the ancestral language.

The CD-ROM teaches aspects of human relations, Indian implements,
nature’s environment, nature’s elements, body parts, emotions,
dwelling, clothing, domestic animals, wild animals, sea animals,
reptiles, insects, birds, numbers and colours. The project would not
have been possible without the voices and knowledge behind the words.

Addie Kermeen and Alex Williams, Squamish First Nations elders fluent in
Skomish Snachem, along with Alice Harry, are the only remaining natives
who speak the language in the Squamish Valley.

Besides lending their voices to provide proper pronunciation of all
language covered in the instructional CD, the elders shared a vast
amount of tradition and culture, which gave the project a completely
authentic feel.

Growing up speaking English as a child, Alice Harry was taught the
native language as a little girl at the old Totem Hall by the late
Dominic Charlie. Along with her father Ernie Harry and the late Chief
Alvie Andrews, they began to develop what she now calls “our Bible” — a
detailed categorization of all words in Skomish Snachem.

“I thank the Creator for blessing me with this gift,” she says of her
language, “but as we say, it is not a gift unless we share it.”

On the opposite side of the spectrum, Addie Kermeen spoke Skomish
Snachem from birth, and didn’t learn any English until the age of 12.
Because she didn’t attend the feared residential schools where the
language was beaten out of all native children, she was able to teach
her children and grandchildren the traditional and cultural ways of her
people.

“I didn’t go through the punishment because I stayed at home, so I was
able to pass on the language to my kids,” said Kermeen, born on the
Seachim Reserve in 1936.

Alex Williams was also born on the Seachim Reserve, and started his
first job at the age of 13 in the booming logging industry. He
struggled to connect with the white man as he never spoke a word of
English, but was forced to learn quickly.

“I had to learn — [the logging workers] had a lot of fun with me because
I couldn’t speak properly but I did it,” said Williams.

At the time, Williams and many other Squamish Nation natives were caught
between a white man’s world and a native world, they didn’t know where
they belonged — their culture was becoming lost. This was the main
reason he was more than happy to lend his voice to the project.

“We’d like to see the younger generations come back to their language.
The trouble is they’re not interested. So if we can teach them some of
their history and traditions—it’ll keep them out of trouble.”

Currently, the CD-ROM is being taught by First Nations support workers
in all schools in the Howe Sound School District where native students
are enrolled, as well as in nursery schools and day cares.

According to Lewis, a future vision for the education department is to
have an immersion school for children from Kindergarten to Grade 5 that
will focus primarily on studying the language.

“The project is aimed towards First Nations youth who are willing to
become part of the process to bring back the language and culture—they
both go hand in hand. The kids are all learning on computers now so we
had to get something in front of them. We’ve never had a tool like this
before.”

Although the traditional way of learning Skomish Snachem involves
passing it down from the elders to the youth, the First Nations society
has chosen to embrace technology in a bid to save the language.

“We’re using technology to help us to get the community to learn the
language. It’s not the traditional method but it’s a great way to get
people to learn. We’re very fortunate to be able to hold onto it and
pass it down — it’s our way of life.”