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Halkomelem Language

Halkomelem is a Coast Salish language of British Columbia and Washington state. It is spoken by several different bands of the Fraser River Valley and Vancouver Island, particularly the Sto:lo and Cowichan nations. Only around 100 people still speak the Halkomelem language and most of them are elders, but today many young people from the Halkomelem-speaking tribes are working to keep their community's language alive.

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Halkomelem Language
Halkomelem language samples and resources.

Stolo Tribe Culture and History
Information and links about the Sto:lo Indians past and present.

Cowichan Tribe Culture and History
Information and links about the Cowichan Indians past and present.

Halkomelem Legends
Introduction to the my thology of the Halkomelems.



Halkomelem Language Resources

Our Halkomelem Language Materials

Halkomelem Vocabulary
    Our list of vocabulary words in Halkomelem, with comparison to words in other Salishan languages.

Halkomelem Language Lessons and Linguistic Descriptions

Introduction to Hul'q'umi'num'
    Online Halkomelem language information including pronunciation and spelling, grammar, and dialect differences.
Halkomelem Ethnobiology
    Compendium of information about native Halkomelem plants and animals, with their original names.
First Nations Languages of British Columbia: Halkomelem
    Profile and linguistic bibliography of Halkomelem from the Yinka Dene Language Institute.
Halq'emeylem
    Halkomelem orthography and text example.
Sto:lo Studies:
    A Sto:lo language and culture program offered by the University College of the Fraser Valley.
North West Coast Keyboards:
    Fonts and keyboard map including the special symbols used by Halkomelem and other Pacific Northwest languages.
Halkomelem Language Tree:
    Theories about Halkomelem's language relationships compiled by Linguist List.
Halkomelem Language Structures:
    Upriver Halkomelem linguistic profile and academic bibliography.
*Coast Salish Comparative Vocabulary:
    Early 20th-century wordlists of Cowichan and other Salishan languages.

Halkomelem Language Preservation and Usage

Sto:lo Language in the Classroom:
    News article on Halq'ameylem language revival among the Sto:lo tribes.
Hulquminum Language Revitalization:
    Interviews and analyses about the survival of Cowichan Halkomelem.
Halkomelem
    Demographic information about the Halkomelem language from the Ethnologue of Languages.

Literature and Texts in the Halkomelem Language

Stalo Prayers:
    Sto:lo translation of the Lord's Prayer.

Halkomelem Proper Names

Halq'emeylem Placenames:
    Chart of Canadian place names in Cowichan and Sto:lo.

Halkomelem Dictionaries, Audio Tapes and Language Resources
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Dictionary of Upriver Halkomelem
    Dictionary of the Sto lo Halkomelem language for sale online.
Sasq'ets:
    Illustrated story-book about the real Sto:lo sasquatch, in English and Halkomelem.

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Links, References, and Additional Information

  Wikipedia: Halkomelem:
  Encyclopedia articles on the Halkomelem Indian language.
  Lengua Halkomelem:
  Information about the Halkomelem language in Spanish.
  Cowichan * Hul'q'umi'num'/Halq'emylem * Halkomelem and Cowichan:
  Halkomelem links.
  Halkomelem Tribe:
  Halkomelem Indian books.



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