wuxwaxtunaat
Gina Salazar
Storytelling is an important tool for sharing knowledge and language across generations. Stories teach us about our way of life and our perspectives on how to be as First Nations peoples. In this project, I share three new stories that I have created inspired by real-life experiences—the importance of singing in the Quw’utsun’ culture, the fixation of the younger generation on video games, and the cultural activities of our people as witnessed by a young sasquatch. Each story has an important life lesson that is presented through humour. Together with elders Delores Louie and Ruby Peter, I have brought these stories to life in Hul’q’umi’num’, a Coast Salish language of British Columbia. These stories are designed to engage the younger generation and inspire them to gain fluency in the Hul’q’umi’num’ language.
Keywords: Indigenous languages, Coast Salish, Hul’q’umi’num’, stories