Musqueam Language

A number of Native languages are in danger of becoming extinct.hənəmiə - Musqueam's traditional language is one of the most endangerered First Nations dialects in the Province.

hənəmiə is one of three main Coast Salish dialects belonging to the larger Halkomelem language group. The other two dialects being h¢Òœ¢mi˜¢m, mainly known as an Island dialect, spoken on Southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands and halkomelem, known as the upriver dialect, spoken from Matsqui on upstream. hənəmiə was spoken by those who traditionally lived around the mouth of the Fraser River and the greater Vancouver area.

Dialects are divisions of one common language group. The speakers of the different dialects can generally understand each other to a certain degree. Although, Musqeueam people spoke the hənəmiə dialect there was familiarity with one or another of the Halkomelem dialects. The other dialects were learned through living in or interacting with people from areas where the other dialects were spoken as well as inter-marriage between the First Nations who spoke the other dialects.

The life altering effects of the Residental Shcool system contributed to the loss of native language. Native children were forbidden to speak their native languages and were punished if caught doing so. Musqueam, unlike the other two dialects, no longer has a true fluent hənəmiə speaker. Musqueam does have semi-fluent speakers in our diaclet.

In 1977 the Musqueam Indian Band produced a language program with booklets and language tapes enabling school aged schildren to begin learning the basics of our language. Unfortunately, due to lack of financial support this language program eventually came to an end.

In order to revive our Native language the band collaborated with U.B.C. through the U.B.C. Linguistics Department in 1997 offering a post secondary course focusing on linguistics of thehənəmiə language. This program offers four years of univeristy level classes in hənəmiə and is held in the Musqueam reserve. A Musqueam community member along with a U.B.C. instructor teaches each level. Students participating in these classes range from Musqueam youth, college and university students to members of other first nations to interested non-native unversity students. The instructors use an interactive format of plays, word games, and demonstrations of traditional activities as well as standard university instruction techniques.