Xaad Kilang T'alang Dagwiieehldang
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Xaad Kilang T’alang Dagwiieehldang - Strengthening Our Haida Voice by Lucy Bell, Sdaahl K’awaas Bachelor of Arts, the University of British Columbia, 1999 A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS IN INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE REVITALIZATION In the Department of Indigenous Education and the Department of Linguistics © Lucy Bell, 2016 University of Victoria All rights reserved. This thesis may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means without the permission of the author. ii Supervisory Committee Xaad Kilang T’alang Dagwiieehldang - Strengthening Our Haida Voice by Lucy Bell Bachelor of Arts, from University of British Columbia, 1999 Supervisory Committee Dr. Su Urbanzyck, Department of Linguistics Supervisor Dr. Marianne Ignace, Department of Linguistics, Simon Fraser University Outside Member iii Abstract Supervisory Committee Dr. Su Urbanzyck, Department of Linguistics Supervisor Dr. Marianne Ignace, Departments of Linguistics and First Nations Studies, Simon Fraser University Outside Member The Haida language, Xaad Kil is dangerously close to extinction. The purpose of this study is to find out what traditional Haida foods, medicines, rituals, ceremonies and supernatural beings could revitalize the language. Drawing on archival literature and community interviews, I found almost 100 traditional ways to revitalize Xaad Kil. This study is significant because it shows that the language revitalization answers are within the Haida community and within the Haida culture. In this study, there are two dozen tradition foods, including foods with supernatural connections that support a healthy lifestyle for Haida language speakers. There are also two dozen traditional medicines that could heal the Haida language and the speaker and strengthen their connection to the supernatural world. In the next chapter, there are over two dozen rituals from Devil’s club rituals to traditional naming and labret ceremonies that support language revitalization. In the last major chapter, there are twenty-three Supernaturals that could bring a language learner wealth, knowledge, strength and help to find lost items. In the conclusion, I talk about the impacts and limits of this study. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE ............................................................................................................... II ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................................................. III HAW’AA, THANK YOU ........................................................................................................................... X DEDICATION ........................................................................................................................................ XIII CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 1 KATS’AHLAA – COME IN ...................................................................................................................................... 1 GIISDUU UU LUCY UU IIJANG? WHO IS LUCY? ............................................................................................. 3 GIISDSUU HL GUUSUUGANG? WHO AM I SPEAKING TO? ....................................................................... 4 KIILANG SK’AT’GEE GUU TL’A KILAGANGGANG – IT IS IMPORTANT TO LEARN YOUR LANGUAGE ................................................................................................................................................................ 4 LANGUAGES OF THE WORLD .............................................................................................................................. 6 CANADIAN ABORIGINAL LANGUAGES ............................................................................................................ 7 BRITISH COLUMBIAN INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES ......................................................................................... 9 XAAD KIL, THE HAIDA LANGUAGE ............................................................................................................... 10 CHAPTER 2 - METHODOLOGY ......................................................................................................... 15 INTRODUCTION TO THE METHODOLOGY ..................................................................................................... 15 A BLENDED THEORETICAL APPROACH ........................................................................................................ 16 AN INDIGENOUS PARADIGM ............................................................................................................................ 16 A HAIDA PARADIGM .......................................................................................................................................... 18 Gin ‘waadluwaan gudahl kwagiidang, Everything is connected ................................................. 18 Aajii hlan-gwaay.uu ya’aats’ gingaan uu giidanggwa, The world is as sharp as a knife ... 18 Dalang ‘wadluwaan aa Hl kil ‘laagang, To speak kindly of everyone ......................................... 19 K’asgad Xaadaas, Haida time ....................................................................................................................... 19 Hawiidaan uu iitl’ gwii ḵ’aahlasang, Soon, we will win .................................................................... 20 APPROACH ............................................................................................................................................................. 20 Collaborative Approach .................................................................................................................................. 21 DOCUMENTATION AND DATA COLLECTION ............................................................................................... 22 The Interviews ..................................................................................................................................................... 22 How can we revitalize the Haida language? ......................................................................................... 25 The semi-structured questions included: ................................................................................................ 26 LITERATURE REVIEW ......................................................................................................................................... 27 PERSONAL PROCESS ........................................................................................................................................... 28 ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY ................................................................................................................................ 29 THESIS OUTLINE .................................................................................................................................................. 30 Aajii uu dii unsadgahlgudanggan - This is what I wanted to find out ....................................... 30 Xaadas taaw, Haida foods .............................................................................................................................. 30 Xil, medicine ......................................................................................................................................................... 31 Ritual and ceremony ........................................................................................................................................ 31 SGaana, supernatural beings ........................................................................................................................ 31 CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................................................................... 31 CHAPTER 3 - XAADAS TAAW, HAIDA FOOD ................................................................................. 33 XAADAS TAAW, HAIDA FOODS - INTRODUCTION .................................................................................... 33 THE ANCESTRAL DIET ....................................................................................................................................... 34 v THE HAIDA DIET AND FOOD GUIDE .............................................................................................................. 34 A SHIFT IN THE HAIDA DIET ............................................................................................................................ 36 LITERATURE REVIEW OF THE HAIDA DIET ................................................................................................. 38 WHAT CAN A HAIDA DIET DO FOR LANGUAGE LEARNERS? ............................................................... 41 WHY I SELECTED THESE FOODS .................................................................................................................... 42 CHAANSII TAAW, FOOD FROM THE SEA ....................................................................................................... 42 Sataw, eulachon grease .................................................................................................................................. 43 Tsiin, salmon ........................................................................................................................................................ 43 Xagu isgyaan