Cowlitz Indian Tribe keeps language alive with new learning materials
A new online dictionary, apps, and books are helping revive the Cowlitz Coast Salish language
Amanda Arden | KOIN 6 | February 17, 2022
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – No one can currently speak the Cowlitz Coast Salish language fluently, but Tribal leaders hope the language-learning materials they’re releasing now will result in more fluent speakers in the future.
For the last three years, Tribal leaders have been working with the Language Conservancy to produce new language-learning materials and technologies to help Tribal members learn the language. Saturday, they released two picture books with an accompanying specialized media player app, an alphabet book, and a new online and mobile free dictionary.
Rita Asgeirsson, the cultural resource director and interim language program manager for the Cowlitz Indian Tribe, said the alphabet book has already been a hit among kids.
“It was really exciting last week to see the little kids all come up, you know, they can see that this is a little kid’s book and this is accessible. You can read it in English and you can see the language translation above and it’s something that I’m excited about,” she said.
Asgeirsson said the language isn’t lost. Instead, she likes to say it’s been dormant. She said there are many people still skilled in the language who have been teaching it, just no fluent speakers.
Right now, she said there are about 25 Cowlitz Tribal members committed to becoming proficient.
When efforts to revitalize the language began three years ago, Tribal leaders began using recordings of the language that were made by two late elders to create a dictionary, with help from the Language Conservancy. The new dictionary has about 3,000 entries and several example sentences. The mobile dictionary is available in an app for Android phones or iPhones.
Since then, the Tribe has started to host virtual language weekends where people can practice and learn the language together.
“Cowlitz is probably, has been identified as one of the most difficult languages to learn globally, just because of its technicality and complexity with being able to create sounds or words, in your throat, in your tongue… It’s very daunting,” Asgeirsson explained.
The Tribe is especially invested in its youngest members. This next year, it plans to release about 100 more of its 0-5 basic books to start teaching kids the language as soon as possible. The Tribe plans to provide the books to child care centers and its Headstart program.
Asgeirsson said language for all Tribal cultures is the breath and voice that holds their histories, morals, ethics, values and teachings together. There are many words within Tribal languages that can’t be translated to English and Asgeirsson said Tribal languages are often representative of the physical environment in which they were spoken.
“These inform for children, who we are, where we come from, and what we need to do as Cowlitz to take care of this, this homescape landscape and one another,” she said.
The Cowlitz Indian Tribe has been glad to see their history acknowledged more frequently on Washington state lands and more requests for Cowlitz art and history in museums. Asgeirsson credits the Black Lives Matter movement for inspiring the push forward.
Asgeirsson said she wants people to know that the Cowlitz people have been here “since time immemorial.”
“They haven’t gone anywhere,” she said.
Asgeirsson said they’ve found gaps in the language as they’ve worked to revive it. Some of the next steps they’ll take will be to figure out how to fill those gaps accurately.
The Tribe will also be working with the Language Conservancy to create shorter language videos people can watch at home to study on their own or with their families. Asgeirsson believes the videos will be 5-10 minutes long and she hopes to start creating them later in 2022.
The Cowlitz Indian Tribe’s language work is far from over. In addition to making the videos, the Tribe also plans to regularly update its online dictionary, create a custom Cowlitz Coast Salish keyboard and create classroom posters with maps marked with significant places in Cowlitz country.
The Tribe has been sending emails out to members with updates on the language learning material. Any Tribal members who haven’t received an email can contact culture@cowlitz.org for more information.