Geek of the Week: Na Tkwi Sníchim and Sacred Places podcasts on SquamishLanguage.com

by Stephen Hui on January 9th, 2011 at 4:13 PM

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Skwxwú7mesh snichim, the critically endangered language of the Squamish people, is about to get a boost from Internet technology.

Dustin Rivers, a 21-year-old Skwxwú7mesh-Kwakwaka’wakw activist who lives in North Vancouver, is readying two audio podcasts to launch this month in hopes of revitalizing the language.

Na Tkwi Sníchim, set to debut on January 19, will introduce listeners to vocabulary and the basics of Skwxwú7mesh snichim a few times a week.

Sacred Places, coming on January 24, will offer weekly interviews related to culture and heritage with prominent members of the Squamish Nation.

“I’m trying to keep it as simple as possible, so it doesn’t make it too difficult for people to try out and become interested in,” Rivers told the Straight by phone.

Both podcasts will be available for free on Rivers’s website, SquamishLanguage.com.

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