Spokane, Washington (AP)
The deaths of 11 elders of the Kalispel Tribe within three months of each other caused members to worry about the survival of their native language.
“It is said if we lose our language we are not going to be a tribe anymore,” said Francis Cullooyah, one of more than 64 speakers of Southern Interior Salish who gathered for a language summit at Spokane Falls Community College recently.
The deaths of 11 elders of the Kalispel Tribe within three months of each other caused members to worry about the survival of their native language.
“It is said if we lose our language we are not going to be a tribe anymore,” said Francis Cullooyah, one of more than 64 speakers of Southern Interior Salish who gathered for a language summit at Spokane Falls Community College recently.