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Saanich Language (Samish, Lummi, North Straits Salish)

There were originally several dialects of Northern Straits Salish, including Saanich, Samish, Songish, Sooke, Semiahmoo, and Lummi, all of which were similar enough that a speaker of one could understand a speaker of another. Today, only a few dozen native speakers of the Saanich dialect of Straits Salish remain, although there are still partially fluent speakers of Lummi and Samish. Straits Salish is a Salishan language of British Columbia and Washington state, most closely related to Klallam.

˜Saanich Language

Saanich language samples and resources.

˜Straits Salish Culture and History

Information and links about the Straits Salish tribes past and present.

˜Saanich Indian Legends

Introduction to Straits Salish mythology.

˜Straits Salish Language Resources –

Our Straits Salish Language Materials

Saanich Vocabulary
Our list of vocabulary words in Saanich, Samish, and Lummi, with comparison to words in other Salishan languages.

Straits Salish Language Lessons and Linguistic Descriptions

Saanich Language
Online dictionary and a linguistic dissertation on Saanich.

The Northern Straits Salish Language
Profile and linguistic bibliography of Lummi, Saanich, and Samish from the Yinka Dene Language Institute.

Sencoten
Saanich language orthography and text example.

Salish Placenames:
Pacific Northwest place names in Straits Salish, Lushootseed, Shuswap, Nuxalk, Spokane, and Coeur d'Alene.

Straits Salish
Demographic information about the Saanich-Samish-Lummi language from the Ethnologue of Languages.

Pacific Northwest Language Domains:
Language map of Lummi and other Northwest Coast languages of Washington, Oregon and California.

Canadian Human Rights Tribute: Saanich:
Plaque written in the Saanich Indian language.

Straits Salish Dictionaries, Audio Tapes and Language Resources

Saanich Classified Word List

Phonology, Morphology, and Word List for the Samish Dialect of Straits Salish
Linguistics books on Northern Straits Salish for sale online.

Native American Language Dictionaries:
Saanich and other American Indian dictionaries and language materials for sale.

Links, References, and Additional Information

North Straits Salish Language:
Encyclopedia articles on Aguaruna.
Lengua Sooke-Songhese-Saanich:
Information about the Northern Straits language in Spanish.
Saanich:
Saanich language links.

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