Happy Bellybutton Day

Hi everyone, this is ašli from the ƛoʔos Nation! Did you know April 1st is the birthday (moχʷaǰu st̓ᶿok̓ʷ - “bellybutton day”) of Culturally Committed founder, Kim Trottier? As a birthday gift to Kim, I have offered to write this week’s Teachings Tuesday.

Today I would like to talk about ʔayʔaǰuθəm, the language of the ƛoʔos (Klahoose), ɬəʔamɛn (Tla’amin), k̓ómoks (Comox), and χʷɛmaɬkʷu (Homalco) Nations. ʔayʔaǰuθəm (“Ayajuthem”) is part of the Coast Salish language family. It is estimated that the number of fluent speakers is between less than a dozen to around 50 people. Whether we are aware of it or not, language shapes and affects the way we think – it is intrinsically and inextricably tied to culture. Therefore, it is essential to learn and use language – as often as we can. When I spoke to my cousin (ǰɛǰɛ – also the same word for “tree”) and uncle (čɛpθ – word for aunt or uncle) about what language meant to them, they shared the teachings outlined below.

My ǰɛǰɛ Emily White from the Klahoose and Tla’amin Nations shares:

“Our language is rooted in the land – it comes from the land; therefore, some words cannot be translated into English with their full meaning. An example of this is the place name ‘tišosəm’, which translates to ‘milky water from herring spawn’ and is the traditional name for where the current village of Tla’amin is located. This name also holds knowledge and history – traditionally, herring accounted for up to 90% of our diet.”

My čɛpθ Jordan T’hii Ayi Mitchell from the Tla’amin Nation adds:

“Place names in our language are related to the land but are also tied to how we lived – they give insights into what could be gathered at a place and when. Almost like a verbal map of where to get what you might need.”

With language so closely tied to the land and culture, it is not hard to understand how a loss of language could so significantly impact a Nation. Language is part of identity. And language “revitalization” is an act of healing. When talking with Emily, she emphasized how languages are “asleep”; not lost, not extinct, not gone. When we learn and speak our language, we are reawakening it – and in the process we allow for healing for all generations.

I will end this Teachings Tuesday with a call to action. I encourage everyone reading this to 1) find whose land you are on (if you don’t already know) and 2) learn what language(s) is/are spoken. Take some time to consider whether you see or use Indigenous words in your daily life, and why or why not. The website native-land.ca will be helpful for this.

If you are interested in learning more about ʔayʔaǰuθəm, please check out:

• The First Peoples Cultural Council 2014 Report on BC First Nations Languages: https://fpcc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/FPCC-LanguageReport-180716-WEB.pdf (page 24 outlines the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action that align with language reawakening)

• JehJeh Media - https://taxumajehjeh.ca/about

• The Raven 100.7 - https://www.homalco.com/homalco-businesses/the-raven-fm-100-7/

• FirstVoices – https://www.firstvoices.com/home

• MotherTongues Dictionary Project - https://mothertongues.org/ayajuthem/index.html​

čɛčɛhaθɛč (I thank/honour you),

ašli

ƛoʔos Nation

This Teaching's Tuesday was originally published on April 5, 2022.