The We Speak! Gala for the Squamish Language Last month I wrote about my work with Kwi Awt Stelmexw in support of Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) Language revitalization. This week I am shamelessly promoting a special event happening later this week: the We Speak! Fundraising Gala is this Frid
Questions Everyone Asks about My Job Since October 2015, I have been working with Kwi Awt Stelmexw, a non-profit in Vancouver dedicated to strengthening Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) language and culture. The Skwxwú7mesh Peoples are Indigenous peoples whose territory includes modern-day Vanc
The Musqueam Place Names Map In an earlier post about learning one of Vancouver’s local Indigenous languages, hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓, I reflected that if I had learned the original names for the places around me as a child, it might have led to a deeper understanding of our local histor
¿Partir o llegar? Los diferentes tipos de migrante Es interesante como en español tenemos tres variantes para una palabra que expresa el abandono de la región natal y la búsqueda de oportunidades en una diferente: emigrar, inmigrar y migrar. De la última, el Diccionario de la Real Aca
Last year I asked readers to help me decide which language to focus on next: French or Punjabi. Well, I have to admit, I didn’t follow through on either plan! Although I have continued to use Duolingo for French vocabulary building, and have learned a few more Punjabi phrases fr
Happy National Aboriginal Languages Day! Did you know that today is National Aboriginal Languages Day in Canada? Why do you think it might be important to teach and learn Aboriginal languages? I began to explore this and other questions when I started my job researching Intercultural
Three foods that start with the letter ‘e’ whose names come from Nahuatl I love etymology. I realize now that when I started this Oaxacan Food from A to Z project I should have written about the use of nahuatlismos – words that are commonly used today whose origin is
Is it just me or are all language lovers also map lovers? Whether or not your linguaphilia is accompanied by an obsession with history, world cultures, or geography, I’m willing to make a bet that a good language map is up there on your list of nerdy pleasures. In addition to th
New Tools for Old Languages Last week, a friend sent me information about an upcoming gathering in Mexico for activists working with digital media to promote indigenous languages and culture online (información en español aquí). The invitation explains that over 300 indigenous languag
An Alliance for Linguistic Diversity I have written before about the importance of language preservation. When a language dies, we lose so much more than vocabulary; each language represents a distinct vision of the world and carries with it important scientific, cultural, and histori
