Sacred Language

The Hul’q’umi’num’ language and its use in sacred settings

Our sacred language is used in our Indigenous ceremonies. This includes ceremonial speaking and protocol, and both public performances and longhouse events.

The Hul’q’umi’num’ language is used in our local churches: in prayers and hymns, mass, and other religious services. The Indigenous Shaker Church uses the Hul’q’umi’num’ language in its prayers and songs.

the cover of the book, Hul’q’umi’num’ St’iwi’elh: Indian prayers of Southeast Vancouver Island (1977)

Prayers in Catholic Mass

The cover of Helk̲'emínem St'íwi7elh, featuring the Old Stone "Butter" Church on Comiaken Hill These are the prayers used in ...
Photo - St Ann's Church

Photo – St Ann’s Church

Photo by David Rozen Rozen, D. L. (1977). Helk’emínem St’íwi7elh: Indian Prayers of Southeast Vancouver Island ...
Image: Shaker Church leaders John Slocum and Louis Yowaluck

Image: Shaker Church leaders John Slocum and Louis Yowaluck

Smithsonian Institution, National Archives (3021) ...

Samuel Tom’s Story of John Slocum’s Second Death

Listen to Samuel Tom tell the story of John Slocum's Second Death. This was recorded at Malahat in 1962 when ...

St. Ann Church Song sheet

tsitsulh si’em’, m’i tth’ihwimutal’hw High respected one, have mercy on us tsitsulh si’em’ nu men, m’i tth’ihwimutal’hw, tth’ihwimutal’hw ’un’ swe’ ...

hay ch q’a’, si’em’ | Prayer Song

Performed by Monique Joseph, July 2024 ...

Children’s prayers

Good Morning ’uy’ netulh, ’uy’ netulh, ’uy’ netulh ’u tthu sum’shathut.Good morning, good morning, good morning to the sun. ts’iyutalu ...

smulyitul: revitalizing the traditional coast salish wedding

PublicSpeaking_WeddingsDownload Also see the MA project by Sti’tum’atulwut, Bernadette Peter Mulyitul: Hul’q’umi’num’ perspectives on a wedding ceremony ...

Longhouse Language

Download pdfs relating to longhouse language. You are invited You are invited - Vocabulary You have been called to witness ...
Map: Diffusion of the Indian Shaker Church

Map: Diffusion of the Indian Shaker Church

This map appears in Volume 7 of the Handbook of North American Indians, published in 1978. Amoss, P. T. (1978) ...

’uy’ tumuhw | Song of Thanks

Performed by Marlin Marsden, July 2024 ...

Willie Seymour on Cultural Teachings

Watch Willie Seymour | qwulthuts’tun speak about Cultural Teachings in Hul’q’umi’num’ Willie Seymour: Cultural Teachings (Hul’q’umi’num’) ...

Christmas songs

Silent Night | sem'tth' snet sem’tth’ snet’uy’ snet’iiw’ sli’luqw ’ul’’iiw’ stth’etth’ukw’ ’ul’yu slheni’, mun’u ’i’ thu tens’uy’ qeq ’iyus, ’i’ ...

st’i’wi’ulh ’u tu netulh | Morning Prayer

Regena Seward-Wilson Oct 25, 2017 Note: You will see Snuneymuxwqun words after the two slashes // tth’ihwum, tsitsulh si’em’, m’i ...

Delores’ Prayer Song

’i tsun ’uw’ t’ut’i’wi’ulh | I am praying (Delores’ Prayer Song) by Alfred Louie ’i tsun ’uw’ t’ut’i’wi’ulh (thume)I am ...

Brothers’ and Sisters’ Prayer song

This prayer song came to us from Roberta Charlie in 2017. Unsure if she composed it or if it is ...

st’i’wi’ulhs tthu ts’e’num’ mustimhw | A Shaker church prayer

This story was written in English by Kathy Martin for the 2026 LING 435 class and translated into Hul'q'umi'num' with ...

Lussy Aleck on John Slocum and Shakers

Watch Lussy Aleck tell the Story of John Slocum Lussy Aleck: The Story of John Slocum Watch Lussy Aleck speak ...

t’i’w’i’ulh tsun tse’  | I will pray

Sung by Theresa Thorne | Suwsiw The song t’i’w’i’ulh tsun tse’ dates back to the time of Alphonse George and ...