Hi! Ta newyap, Siiy’am’, en-Siiyay’,
I am of both Skwxwu7mesh (a.k.a. Squamish) and Kwagulh (a.k.a. Kwakiutl) ancestry, as well as Tlingit, English and Scottish. I recently finished my PhD in linguistics at UBC. In my dissertation I focused on lexical aspect (also known as inner aspect, aktionsart) and how it is marked on the verb in the Skwxwu7mesh language. This marking interacts with what are known as control meanings in Salish languages, including Skwxwu7mesh.
I previously worked for twenty years for my own First Nation - the Skwxwu7mesh Uxwumixw (Squamish Nation) - as a linguist. In my job there, I taught the Skwxwu7mesh language, both in the high school and at the college level; I contributed to the development of a college certificate for Skwxwu7mesh language and culture at Capilano University; I was the editor-in-chief for a learner friendly bilingual Squamish-English dictionary; I worked as part of a team which developed an extensive electronic database of audio recordings of Skwxwu7mesh photographs and scanned hardcopy documents relevant to Skwxwu7mesh language and culture; and, I collaborated with local museums to develop a number of Skwxwu7mesh specific exhibits. Besides my interestes as a linguist, I also strongly support, and believe in, the maintenance of our Indigenous languages through their use in the ceremonial life of our communities.
In addition to my research on all aspects of Skwxwu7mesh (including phonetics, phonology, syntax and semantics, and pragmatics), I also specialize in indigenous language revitalization. I am currently researching models for indigenous adults learning their own languages as adults, with particular focus on Master-Apprentice programs. At UVic, I sit on the committee that oversees the Graduate Indigenous Language Revitalization (ILR) Program, and I teach the linguistics courses which are part of this program. I also sit as the Linguistics Liaison for the Indigenous Education Advisory Board.