Initiatives


 Certificate Program

The certificate program is a full-time Squamish language immersion program. The program happens in partnership with K.A.S., Simon Fraser University, the Tsleil-watuth Nation, Squamish Nation, and the Where Are Your Keys (WAYK) language team. It is a full-time program that runs from September to April Monday – Friday 9:00 am – 4:00 pm. It is taught using the WAYK language methodology, which is an immersion-based learning methodology that does not use English based translation. The program has been running for four years and has brought over 50 new language speakers into the Squamish Sníchim family. The language deeply embeds who we are.

Therefore, the program offers such a deep, multifaceted cultural connection through traditional songs, legends, interactions with other community members, speakers and elders, trips out onto the land, plant knowledge, and more. It has been well attended each year and has a high success rate. The future of the Squamish language gets brighter and healthier each year that we have a new cohort of people. Many of the graduates choose to continue with language work to help grow and spread it amongst our people. The goal of K.A.S. is to continue to support these immersion programs and create jobs for graduates of the program to stay involved in the language through teaching, learning, and the development of resources. 

The certificate program will not be offered in 2020-2021 but a diploma program will be.

Diploma Program

In September 2020 are excited to be offering a diploma program for language learners who have completed the certificate or have beginner-intermediate knowledge of the language. Find out more to apply for this program.

K.A.S. Projects

K.A.S. is a multi-disciplinary non-profit that focuses on the language, art and culture of the Squamish Nation. Our mandate is to create jobs in these sectors for our people. Our projects have spread across these sectors and overlapped among the inherent connectedness of them all. We have:

  • worked on children’s books in the language, illustrated by nation members;
  • we have helped run and teach in the Squamish language immersion program for the last four years
  • we have run galas to showcase our language, culture, and cuisine
  • and continue to fundraise for our programming. 

We have created numerous resources for the language such as transcriptions of old recordings, digitization of old recorders, storybooks, poetry books and more. We have supported Squamish singers, dancers, poets, painters, designers, and teachers to be able to produce materials that directly benefit the people and our programming. Everything we create and does goes back into our community and is made for them and by them. 

Language Resources

K.A.S. over the years has developed a number of language learning resources that are available on our website here. This includes basic language learning lessons and an online Place Name map called SquamishAtlas.com.