Century-old schoolhouse repurposed as language school for Squamish Nation’s youngest
Global News
A 112-year-old Vancouver schoolhouse has been repurposed by the Squamish Nation to immerse their youngest children in a language that was once on the verge of extinction.
The Squamish Nation is celebrating a milestone in efforts to revitalize their language.
Just 14 years ago the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh language, and its key role in transmitting traditional culture, was on the edge of extinction with fewer than 10 fluent speakers thought to remain.
That number has since rebounded to more than 100, and now a 112-year-old Vancouver schoolhouse is set to play a role in pushing the number higher.
On Friday, the nation marked the official opening of ta tsíptspi7lhḵn, the Squamish Nation Language Nest, a facility it hopes will see the language passed on for generations to come.
“We want to keep it alive for all of our ancestors before us who were not able to speak and who attended residential school and day school,” explained Language Nest head teacher Kaiya Williams (Halat).
“We get to call it our home, and with our home is an immersion setting.”
The program started in 2019, but did not have its own dedicated space.
That changed in August, with an agreement between the Squamish Nation and the Vancouver School Board.
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