Language

Language is the foundation of Indigenous laws, worldviews and ways of knowing and being. The protection and revitalization of Indigenous languages is a priority for local Indigenous communities and for UVic.

Throughout the Indigenous plan, we have used Lək̓ʷəŋən and SENĆOŦEN language and teachings. These words and teachings have been shared with the university community by Elders, Language and Knowledge Keepers from the local Nations, and we are charged with upholding them through the Coast Salish teaching of Nəw̓es šxʷ cən ʔay̓ šqʷeləqʷən | ÁMEḴT TŦEN ÍY, ŚḰÁLEȻEN | Bring in a good heart and a good mind.

Elders Čeyɫəm, Dr. Elmer George (Songhees Nation, Lək̓ʷəŋən) and J,SIṈTEN, Dr. John Elliott (Tsartlip First Nation, SENĆOŦEN) have provided permission and guidance on the use of Lək̓ʷəŋən and SENĆOŦEN throughout the Indigenous Plan.

Format & Footnote: [names/teachings/words/guidelines/etc] are provided in Lək̓ʷəŋən (Songhees & Esquimalt Nations) | SENĆOŦEN (W̱SÁNEĆ Peoples) | English.

After the first instance of a word and translation, the English translation may be removed to encourage engagement with Lək̓ʷəŋən and SENĆOŦEN. While there are similarities between the two languages, they are distinct from one another and use different writing systems.

When introducing a new word or phrase, name and thank those who have gifted words or have guided translations. For words in the Indigenous Plan and Strategic plan: Elders Čeyɫəm, Dr. Elmer George (Songhees Nation) and J,SIṈTEN, Dr. John Elliott (Tsartlip First Nation) have provided permission and guidance on the use of Lək̓ʷəŋən and SENĆOŦEN respectively.

Language of the Songhees & Esquimalt Nations
Written in a unique version of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) also know as the Lək̓ʷəŋiʔnəŋ Phonetic Alphabet (LPA). Sentence case, capitalizing the first character of the first word of a sentence, may be used.

Language of the W̱SÁNEĆ Peoples
Written in the SENĆOŦEN Alphabet, a phonetic alphabet created by Dave Elliott. This alphabet is unicase, meaning that it is written only in what appears to be ‘capital letters.’

Phonetic alphabets are based on the idea that one sound is represented by one character. To read or pronounce words written in a phonetic alphabet, each character is pronounced.

Phonetic alphabets are especially helpful for communicating the sound of vowels through written text. For example, where an English ‘a’ is pronounced differently between words such as ‘cat’ and ‘father’, a Phonetic Alphabet would represent these distinct vowel sounds with their own particular characters: [æ] and [ɑ].

Remember: English is not a phonetic language (its 26 characters refer to at least 44 distinct sounds, and sometimes words are written with ‘silent letters’). FirstVoices records 34 characters in LPA and 39 characters in the SENĆOŦEN alphabet.