On Nov. 22, people of the Homalco Nation met at the Coast Discovery Inn on Nov. 22 to unveil a new language revitalization plan for ayʔaǰuθɛm, a language part of the Salishan family.
"Our language is so important for the healing and survival of our people, which is something we are in dire need right now," said Shaylene Harry, Xwémalhkwu health director. "Our community is struggling immensely with a lot of different things, and so our language and our culture is our best way to come back from that. We have faced many challenges over the past year. Language funding was cut basically to nothing by the government. So the health staff, myself included, decided that it was too important, the work that has been done, to cancel the programming and lay off our staff because we need our language."
The language department is small, but Harry said she is still very excited about the continued work in the language department, headed by language co-ordinator Marilyn Harry and education co-ordinator Brenda Murray.
About 15 people are in the Language Revitalization Planning Project (LRPP) Working Group, not including the language and education co-ordinators.
James O'Rourke has been an instrumental part of the LRPP. A member of the working group, Dominic Fode, called him an outstanding resource who has given the project's members a wealth of knowledge.
O'Rourke presented the language plan to those in attendance. The five-year plan is a bid to protect the language, classified as critically endangered, from becoming extinct. The Xwémalhkwu also share the language with three other nations: the Klahoose, Tla'smin and K'omoks. In 2018, only 47 speakers across the four nations spoke it fluently.
"This is a five-year plan, and so much work has been done on this by so many people..." said O'Rourke. "It's going to be up to you guys, for us, to hold each other's feet to the fire to see if the language continues to develop in the community."
According to the plan's document, the nation has about 500 members, with less than half living off reserve throughout Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland (and some in Edmonton).
Residential schools had a devastating effect on the language, punishing children for using the language and forcing them into assimilation. The after-effects of these schools (the last one in Canada closed in 1997) and policies that forced relocation continue to disrupt the Xwémalhkwu people and the survival of their language.
Existing language resources include recordings of the language through The Raven 100.7 radio station made into podcast episodes (also available on Spotify). The radio station also broadcasts a "Word of the Day" segment. The Health Centre includes books, audio, and workbooks for those interested in the language.
However, some new resources have started due to the project, such as a high school course in School District 72's schools, a non-credit course through the North Island College and a program called Reclaiming our Language.
The document also contains a year-by-year overview, with the last year being 2028.
In 2028, the project hopes:
- The language department will be in a permanent, purpose-built resource centre.
- Language learners will be able to pursue a fluency certificate at the North Island College, as well as non-credit adult basic education courses and micro-credential courses linked to Tourism and/or forestry.
- A curriculum pathway exists in the public school system, with language classes directed by certified teachers and elders.
- The nation and language are visible within the School District's committees and in meaningful ways in schools and other district properties.
