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Halkomelem (also Halq'eméylem, Hul'qumi'num', and Hǝn'q'ǝmin'ǝm') is a Coast Salishan language of the First Nations around the Fraser River and the southern end of Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Halkomelem is most closely related to Sḵwxwú7mesh snichim (Squamish), Sháshíshálh (Sechelt), and Lhéchalosem (Nooksack).

The word "Halkomelem" is an anglicization for a language with three dialects: Halq'eméylem, the dialect spoken by the upriver Stó:lō of the Fraser Valley, Hǝn'q'ǝmin'ǝm', the dialect of the downriver Stó:lō, and Hulq'umín'um', spoken by six separate but closely related First Nations in the Georgia Strait area: the Chemainus, Cowichan, Halalt, Lake Cowichan, Lyackson, and Penelakut.^[1]

In 1977 Brent Galloway of the University of California, Berkeley compiled the first grammar of Upriver (Chilliwack) Halkomelem and developed the now-official Stó:lō orthography. He is currently working on a Halkomelem dictionary.

According to Galloway, some words in Halkomelem "encapsulate the whole knowledge of the culture." The language has a rich oral literature which shows a whole way of looking at the universe that is different from that of English or other European languages.

The Halkomelem language is near extinction largely due to the extensive transportation of First Nations children to residential schools. In 2000, it was estimated that the number of fluent Halkomelem speakers was less than one dozen. Language programs at the Stó:lō Nation, Seabird Island First Nation, and Cowichan First Nation have been developed to save the language. A program aimed at adults at Musqueam is a collaboration between the band and the University of British Columbia First Nations Language Program.

Basic Halq'eméylem words and phrases

Phonology

The phonology of the Hǝn'q'ǝmin'ǝm' dialect is (based on the charts at LanguageGeek):

The vowels are /i u e ə a/, with long counterparts /iː uː eː aː/.

Peoples speaking Halkomelem

Hul'qumi'num (Hul’q’umi’num’: Island dialect)

• Chemainus First Nation
• Cowichan peoples
  • Cowichan Lake First Nation
  • Cowichan Tribes
    • Clemclemaluts (L’uml’umuluts)
    • Comiaken (Qwum’yiqun’)
    • Khenipsen (Hinupsum)
    • Kilpahlas (Tl’ulpalus)
    • Koksilah (Hwulqwselu)
    • Quamichan (Kw’amutsun)
    • Somena (S’amuna’)
• Halalt First Nation
• Lyackson First Nation
• Malahat First Nation
• Nanoose First Nation
• Penelakut First Nation
• Snuneymuxw First Nation

Hunquminum (Hǝn̓q̓ǝmin̓ǝm̓: Downriver dialect)

• Katzie First Nation
• Kwantlen First Nation
• Kwikwetlem First Nation
• Musqueam First Nation
• Tsawwassen First Nation

Halq'emeylem (Halq’eméylem: Upriver dialect)

• Aitchelitz First Nation
• Chawathil First Nation
• Cheam First Nation
• Chehalis First Nation (non-Stó:lō)
• Kwawkwawapilt First Nation
• Lakahahmen Lake First Nation
• Matsqui First Nation
• Ohamil First Nation
• Peters First Nation
• Popkum First Nation
• Scowlitz First Nation
• Seabird Island First Nation
• Skawahlook First Nation
• Skowkale First Nation
• Skwah First Nation
• Skwah First Nation
• Skway First Nation
• Soowahlie First Nation
• Squiala First Nation
• Sumas First Nation
• Tsakuam First Nation
• Tzeachten First Nation
• Union Bar First Nation
• Yakweakwioose First Nation
• Yale First Nation

See also

• Brent Galloway
• Donna Gerdts
• Patricia Shaw
• Wayne Suttles

External links

• Ethnologue Report for Halkomelem
• First Nations Languages of British Columbia page on Halkomelem
• Language Geek page on Halkomelem
• Status of British Columbia First Nations Languages
• Hul'q'umin'um Talking Dictionary
• Halkomelem Ethnobiology Web Site (SFU)
• Themes, thoughts, and theories on strategic planning for Hul'qumi'num language revitalization
• Lessons and Information about Hul'q'umi'num

References

• Carlson, Keith Thor, ed. 2001. A Stó:lō-Coast Salish Historical Atlas. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre.
• Suttles, Wayne. 2004. Musqueam Reference Grammar. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press.

1. ^ Hul'quim'num Treaty Group
2. ^ Halq'eméylem Language by Helen Carr, Kwantlen First Nation