Collaboration for the Future of Our Language

Kwi Awt Stelmexw is seeking your feedback on the Vision Statement for Skwxwú7mesh Sníchim, developed last year as part of a community-wide process to develop a 25-Year Strategic Action Plan for the Squamish Language. Visit the survey here or complete the form at the end of this post.

Our Language Planning Project

Since 2015, Kwi Awt Stelmexw has been facilitating a community-wide planning process for Skwxwú7mesh Sníchim as part of the Language Revitalization Planning Program. This process has involved bringing together Squamish Nation members through a series of events and meetings to discuss the current state of our language and our dreams for its future. The goal is to develop a 25-Year Strategic Action Plan for the Squamish Language that outlines targets, strategies, and ways to participate in the revitalization of Skwxwú7mesh Sníchim. Our aim is to ensure maximum community participation and input, so that all Squamish peoples can feel proud of, and participate in, the Action Plan.

To date we have achieved the following:

• Administered the Skwxwú7mesh Languages Assessment Survey to understand the needs and interests of the community
• Began work to address these needs, such as the creation of the Skwxwú7mesh Immersion Program and the Language in the Homes project
• Created a repository of existing Skwxwú7mesh resources
• Hosted the Visioning Café for the Squamish Language
• Convened a working group to bring the ideas of the Visioning Café together and draft the Vision Statement for Skwxwú7mesh Sníchim

The Survey

We are now seeking feedback on the Vision Statement for Skwxwú7mesh Sníchim. This statement will be the foundation upon which the 25-Year Strategic Action Plan is written, so it is important to us that the majority of Squamish peoples can identify with it and feel compelled to work towards it. While we accept feedback from anyone, we are especially hoping for input from Squamish Nation members and others with Squamish ancestry. The survey only contains a few questions and should take you less than 5 minutes to complete. Click here to take the survey online, or you can simply fill it out below at the end of this post!

Next Steps

On March 12, 2017, we will be hosting our next community event for strategic language planning. At this event, we will be honouring those who have worked hard for Skwxwú7mesh Sníchim (our language warriors!), and we will present the finalized Vision Statement to the community. We will then begin facilitated group work to start the next phase of strategic planning: developing specific goals and targets for the language. Please join us on March 12 for the Honouring Language Champions & Visioning Café.

We will continue to host language planning events over the course of the next year, and hope to have a draft Strategic Action Plan for Skwxwú7mesh Sníchim by the end of 2017!