Nooksack language facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nooksack |
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| Lhéchalosem | ||||
| Region | Whatcom County, Washington | |||
| Ethnicity | 1,600 Nooksack people (1997) | |||
| Extinct | 1988, with the death of Sindick Jimmye18 | |||
| Language family |
Salish
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The Nooksack language (also called Lhéchalosem or Lhéchelesem) is a special language. It belongs to the Salish family. The Nooksack people of the Pacific Northwest Coast used to speak it.
This language comes from an area in northwestern Washington (state). This place is now known as Whatcom County in the United States.
Sadly, the Nooksack language is almost gone. As of 2020, only one person speaks it fluently. The Nooksack language is very similar to Squamish, Sháshíshálhem (Sechelt), and Halkomelem. These languages are spoken in nearby parts of British Columbia, Canada. Some people wondered if Nooksack was just a different way of speaking Halkomelem. But studies have shown that Nooksack is its own unique language.
Bringing the Nooksack Language Back
The Nooksack language is very important to the Nooksack people. They are working hard to bring it back to life. This effort is called "revitalization."
Working with the Last Speaker
In the 1970s, a language expert named Brent Galloway worked with Sindick Jimmy. Sindick Jimmy was the last person who grew up speaking Nooksack. He passed away in 1988. Brent Galloway created a dictionary of the language. He also wrote a book in 2011 called Nooksack place names: geography, culture, and language. This book helps us learn about Nooksack places, their culture, and their language.
Teaching the Language Today
The Nooksack tribe now offers classes to teach the language. As of 2020, there is one fluent speaker left. This person is a Nooksack tribal member. They are part of a special program called the Lhéchalosem Teacher Training Language Immersion Project.
This project helps students learn the language very deeply. Students spend their mornings in "language immersion." This means they are surrounded by the language. In the afternoons, they work on projects. These projects focus on how the language is used in Nooksack culture. For example, they might study how the language is used in fishing or crafts.
After two years, students can get a certificate. This is like an Associate Degree. After four years, they can become fully qualified language teachers. This is like having a Bachelor of Arts degree. The main goal is to use the Lhéchalosem language in everyday life again.
This program costs about $110,000 each year. The Administration for Native Americans (ANA) pays 60 percent of the cost. The Nooksack Tribe pays the other 40 percent.
