Welcome to New Horizons Indigenous Associations Language Archive. Together with First Voices and the Nuyumbalees Cultural Centre (located in the We Wai Kai community on the beautiful Quadra Island) we have worked to put together an audio dictionary containing words, phrases, and stories in the Kwakwala Language. As First Nations people it is our obligation to help to ensure that our languages are sustained and available for our people to learn. On this page you will find 3 main sections: Words, Phrases, and Stories.
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The Stories we have included in our collection are 3 different interpretations of Kwakwaka’wakw Creation stories. There are other interpretations available that share the same idea, but with variations to them. We are proud to be able to share these sacred stories, and we acknowledge our elders and our language keepers for allowing us to bring these stories to you.
(Audio coming soon!)
D+ax#@n ]uw xa P{ax^ala (The Eulachon and the Sorcerer)
It was the Sorcerer that brought the eulachon to Knights Inlet.
Suddenly the river swarmed the little silver fish …. the eulachons.
%omis da %udaxid d+ax#@n ni>ida.
There will always be eulachon in the river.
Lamis da xulis d+ax#@n laxa wa.
They even used the end of the dried eulachon as candles as its oil burns slow and provides light.
%ug#aq@n %axalx#ida d+ax#@n qa%e~da nig#i>.
L@mis qasdaq#@lba.
The Stories we have included in our collection are 3 different interpretations of Kwakwaka’wakw Creation stories. There are other interpretations available that share the same idea, but with variations to them. We are proud to be able to share these sacred stories, and we acknowledge our elders and our language keepers for allowing us to bring these stories to you.
(Audio coming soon!)
G@lg@lpo>a (Sharing together)
“I am the greatest man of all!” Shouted the man as he picked up a rock and smashed it to the ground.
%olak{al@n gig@me~y{a! nik{i da b@g#an@m, l@%e~ p@lsat{is@m
“No, I am greater than you” said the other man as he also threw a rock with great force.
K{i, nug#a gig@maya! l@%e %ug#aqa sat{is@m.
The Sorcerer came across these two men arguing and fighting and he asked them “What are you arguing about?”
The Stories we have included in our collection are 3 different interpretations of Kwakwaka’wakw Creation stories. There are other interpretations available that share the same idea, but with variations to them. We are proud to be able to share these sacred stories, and we acknowledge our elders and our language keepers for allowing us to bring these stories to you.
(Audio coming soon!)
Y{ak@ndalas p{ap{asas(Speaking Blind)
There were two old ladies digging roots in a mud flat. They were blind.
Maluk#ida q#@lsq#@lyak# p{ap{as d+ ik{a qa%eda.
Without their knowing the Sorcerer came near and watched them.
%is gage~nola, humo>a susap{ax^ala.
One lady said to the other, “I smell something awful”. The other answered “Don’t talk like that. it’s what we are digging”.
Lam{is misa[{ala, xa n@muk# nik, n{isnaxayaxpala yud+om@nc d+ikac{ow@>.
“No” cried the first lady, It is he that is supposed to be coming that smells bad. Both women laughed.
K{i, nikida n@muk# yud@x#a p{ax^ala lamis d@>ida.
Just then the Sorcerer asked, “what are you doing?”
W@[ida xa p{ax^ala “wigil@s?”
“Digging roots” they said.
D+ ikinox^ qa%e~da d@d+ us
Do you want to see asked the Sorcerer?
%@%e~xst@mas qas dux^a[a%@s?
He didn’t wait for an answer.
%i%isa>as qe~ nanaxme~.
One of the women yelled who are you?
%@ng^#^asos %ik{i da n@muk#?
The Sorcerer screamed “turn the other way” and he grabbed the women by their sides and threw them up into the air and said…”from now on you will be ducks, feeding in the smelly swamps for the rest of your lives.
This page, much like our languages themselves, is a living archive. We are committed to continuing to improve and add to this Database. We are actively working on a First Voices Liqwala language page which we will link to at the bottom of the page following its launch.
We would like to give special thanks to our partners and Language Experts:
Hereditary Chief Richard Dawson
Lisa Anwar
Nuymbalees Cultural Centre
First Peoples Cultural Council
Gelakasla, we look forward to continuing this good work