way’ iskʷist, semacn, Cathrine Gottfriedsen. kn tum̓ twi Lucille Terbasket Gottfriedsen (my late mother), part of the smlqmix-Eagle River people, Similkameen Indians ul kn twi mistəm George Gottfriedsen (my late father, part of the nk ma pəlqs). kn tl nk ma pelqs ul kiʔ kn mut (I am from and live at the Head of the Okanagan Lake, Okanagan Indian Band). My immediate family lives there, as well.
The street signs that I chose to record audio for on the UBC Okanagan campus are sniliʔtn, for the Lower Residence Lane and Upper Residence Place. In sqilxʷcn-nsyilxcn sniliʔtn means “a place where people stay.” However, the more descriptive words for them areˑ tanyxʷut sniliʔtn for the Lower Residence Lane and tanwist sniliʔtn for the Upper Residence Place. The advice from our fluent professor, Dr. Jeannette Armstrong, was to use sniliʔtn by itself for both names.
sniliʔtn (Lower Residence Lane and Upper Residence Place) audio recorded by: Cathy Gottfriedsen, smlqmix-syilx and sqilxʷcn-nsyilxcn learner.
This project was for our technology course, which looked at how technology could be used for for endangered language documentation and revitalization, namely sqilxʷcn or nsyilxcn. The sqilxʷcn or nsyilxcn language is from our lands and waters, as we are. Many of us are doing what we can to learn, document and revitalize it. This project will help to keep our language alive. It is my responsibility and privilege to do my part. My nc̓q̓mnilsm (my wish) is that we will be here for all time, with sqilxʷcn or nsyilxcn. Enjoy your time in the beautiful sʔuknaʔqinx, the home of the Okanagan people. Limlimt!