txʷəl ʔiɫlaq ɫuʔaciɫtalbixʷ For the future generations to come

/in ,

BY: Cassy George, Suquamish Language Program Coordinator

The Suquamish Language Program’s mission statement is to revitalize the Suquamish dialect of the txʷəlšucid language within the Suquamish tribal community. txʷəl ʔiɫlaq ɫuʔaciɫtalbixʷ. For the future generations to come, or literally: the people coming from behind.” This is an important concept to illustrate with the program logo, because it differs so much from the English world. In Lushootseed, the future generations are coming from behind us. In English, the future is in front of us. The Lushootseed perspective puts more responsibility on the people in the present to consider what they are leaving behind for the next people to access. It shifts the focus from individual goals to collective responsibility to maintain the connection between Suquamish people and Suquamish language.

Our previous logo carried us far, but it was time for a change in our methodology and focus on development. We must remember that everything we do is for future generations, and this is represented in the new logo.

The logo design was developed in consultation between the Language Program and Suquamish Tribal Member and artist, Diana Riggins. Along with clearly capturing the urgency of language revitalization, it was important to create a logo that could easily be recognized and applied to a wide range of uses – from business cards, to posters, to digital platforms, and more.

Encircling the new design is a fishnet pattern, representing the cultural and practical traditions tied to the water and the various ways the Suquamish people are reconnecting to their language. Lushootseed Revitalizationist Shayna Bagley has strategically provided Lushootseed lessons on the beach, on the water, and during clam bakes on The Slab to strengthen this connection.

Inside the logo’s border is the traditional shape of an ʔəʔutx̌s ( sea going canoe), reinforcing a recognizable Suquamish presence. The paddlers are shown with their paddles raised, a symbol of respect and unity, and communicates the collective commitment required to carry the language forward.

Serving as the anchor of the design is an Elder speaking the language. The language itself is depicted as flowing swirls moving from the Elder to the generations of youth behind her. This design element represents the important role of language teachers such as Brandy Boure, Calina Lawrence, and Joey Holmes. Brandy is a Lushootseed teacher at Chief Kitsap Academy and breathes life into the language with tribal youth. Calina brings Lushootseed into all aspects of her life with her family, friends, and community.  Joey speaks Lushootseed with his wife Denita Holmes and their children. They are one of very few tribal households where Lushootseed is used by both parents in varying capacities.

I am proud of how intentional we were with the design of the new logo. Our Language Program has a lot more work to do, and this logo will help carry us there and help remind us that language revitalization is not a single moment, but an ongoing passage from one generation to the next.

Summer Lushootseed Protocol Classes

DATES: Tuesdays from June 23 – July 21 (five weeks)

TIMES: TBD

WHERE: Classes will be offered in person at ʔiišədalʔtxʷ Family and Friends Center and online via Zoom.

WHAT: Each class will teach the same protocols. Come to as many as you need to feel confident speaking on Canoe Journey and other tribal gatherings this summer! Classes will include protocol language for:

  • Personal Introductions
  • Asking Permission to Come Ashore
  • Asking Permission to Leave
  • Giving Permission to Come Ashore
  • Giving Permission to Leave
  • Simple Prayer
  • Introducing a Song

 

Additional class details will be shared in the Weekly Update. 

New Lushootseed Signs Welcome Students at CKA

/in , , ,

As students begin classes at Chief Kitsap Academy Sept. 2, they will be welcomed by a new engraved wood sign at the entrance of the campus that reads haʔł sləx̌il, or “Good day” in Lushootseed.
Created by woodworker David Kotz and incorporating the Coast Salish-style black and red CKA Bear, the word huy’ – or “Until we meet again” – is etched on the opposite side, so students will close out their day at school with Lushootseed as well.
The greeting is just one of more than 50 signs big and small installed across the CKA campus just before school kicked off, part of a broader effort to build a Lushootseed “speech community” at the school.
“This is just the beginning,” said Cassy George, the Suquamish Tribe’s Lushootseed Language Program Coordinator as she helped managed installations in late August. “It feels really good to see the signs going up. It’s a good beginning.”

A speech community on campus
The project grew from a Dual Language grant that worked in collaboration with the Language Department, CKA and Washington’s Office of Superintendent of Public Education. George worked closely with CKA Lushootseed teacher Brandy Boure to decide how to use the funds.

Language Program Coordinator Cassy George, lower right, works with CKA staff, along with design and installation crew, to place new signage at the school..

“We asked, how do we create a speech community at the school? We have to create supports for people to speak when they’re together. Where are they together? The Commons, the cafeteria, the carving shed — those became priorities.”
Together, they envisioned signage as a daily reminder that the language belongs in every corner of school life.
Indeed, classrooms, bathrooms, and other high-traffic areas also got their own Lushootseed placards as well.

Positive affirmations and traditional foods
For cook Skylene George, the cafeteria was the right place to highlight positive affirmations and traditional foods. “She wanted the kids to feel happy here,” George explained. “So there’s signs that says things like ‘Extend good thoughts,’ ‘We care about you,’ ‘You are healthy,’ ‘Be kind to others.’ ”
On another wall in the cafeteria, a new Lushootseed seasonal foods wheel will replace the English-only version that has hung there for years. The wheel names clams, salmon, berries, and other staples of the Suquamish diet across the four seasons. “It connects what we eat to the times of year. It’s part of how we’ve always understood the world,” said George.

Carvings, graphics, and teamwork
Other spaces include the carving shed, where teacher Bearon Old Coyote asked for signs with phrases to encourage safety and good energy in the work. The signs themselves blend artistry and digital design.
Graphic designer Albert Treskin created layouts for each piece, working with Sound Reprographics. “Albert has been there at every step,” George said. “He’s been amazing.”
Installation has been another collaboration. Facilities staff, including Jon Morsette and Junior Santos, provided insight on placement and helped mount the signs. “Their knowledge of the campus made all the difference,” George said. “It really took a whole team to get this done.”

Looking ahead
Initially the state grant was fo

r $39,000 but in the second year was reduced to $22,000 with a tightening of the budget. That means some areas like the basketball court will have to wait. George hopes to apply for more funding to add electronic signage in the future.
For now, she sees the installation as a turning point. “It’s powerful for our kids to see Lushootseed every day,” she said. “These signs remind us the language is alive — in our food, our seasons, our places, and in how we greet one another.”
By Jon Anderson
Suquamish News Staff Writer

Language Program seeks bids for new logo

/in ,

Language Use Survey

/in ,