Dialogues for Promoting Indigenous Spirituality and Culture
Beyond the Written Word
Spoken around a fire, whispered during ceremony, and passed down from Elder to youth, Indigenous languages have been preserved and shared orally for thousands of years. Most have never had a written alphabet, relying solely on verbal traditions to remain alive.
However, the impacts of colonization and the residential school system have left many languages lost, forgotten or fading. This is the case for the West Coast Tla-o-qui-aht dialect, which is on the brink of extinction with only a small number of fluent speakers able to teach it today. Preserving Tla-o-qui-aht ensures that future generations have access to the knowledge, teachings, stories, and worldviews that have sustained the community for generations.
Educational resources are critical tools in this work. That is why the Tla-o-qui-aht Language Keepers Society is revitalizing its dialect of the Nuu-chah-nulth language through ongoing Language Nest programs, family immersion initiatives, and online classes. Since its inception in 2013, the Society has developed learning resources to support language learners of all ages such as ƛiisčuuʔak miy̓aaxtukukqin: Texts of Our Elders, a written collection of Elder teachings, and Tla-o-qui-aht Dialect: 50 Children’s Songs Translations with Notes, which features original songs composed in the dialect and culturally adapted translations of familiar children’s songs. The project has also developed visually engaging flashcards for young and adult learners. The Society plans to distribute 400 copies of each publication, which will also be sold to support the continued production of language resources.
The Indigenous Reconciliation Fund (IRF) is supporting this important revitalization initiative to ensure new resources can continue to be developed. Making language-learning materials widely accessible is integral to saving an ancient, sacred language, and fostering cultural pride, strengthening community connections, and preserving the voices, teachings, and stories of Tla-o-qui-aht Elders.
Diocese of Victoria
