Language
The Sliammon language is a unique language spoken no where else in the world. Most of the Coast Salish tribes had individual languages and customs, of which Sliammon is one. The Sliammon language was a purely oral language with no written form (until recently), carried forth from generation to generation over hundreds of years. With the white settlement of Canada and the introduction of the english language, the Sliammon language faced the threat of being lost forever.
Through the hard work of the Sliammon Cultural Department, the language has been documented, recorded and put onto CD to be used as a teaching and learning tool for members of the community, thus preserving it for the future.
The language has been recorded into the International Phonetic Alphabet orthography. The english alphabet was inadequate to replicate sounds found in the language and as such a different orthography was used. An example of the alphabet can be seen below, however please note the pronunciation varies to the english counterpart: (Note: not all characters may be visible in some browsers)
Vowels:
a - e - ε - i - ﺎ - o - u - ט - ə - : - ey - ay
Consonants:
b - c - č - ć - d - f - g - ĵ - k - ќ - k - w - ќ - w - λ - җ - l - ł - m - m' - n - n' - p - p' - q - q' - q - w - q'w - r - s - š - t - ť - θ - tθ - v - w - ω - x - x - w - Х - y - γ - z - ף
Sliammon language classes are held at the Elders Lodge from September to May, every Sunday from 1pm-3pm. The Sliammon Cultural Department also has language CDs available for purchase. There are 2 sets, one specifically on the language, and the other; stories, history and songs. The language packs are priced at $25/set. For more information contact the Sliammon Cultural Department (see Band Office).