Da̱nx̱a̱laga̱litła̱n’s ‘We Will Sing in the House’: Reclaiming Domains of the Home Through Song in Kwak̓wala
Date
2021-01-04
Authors
Everson, Keisha
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Abstract
"This project outlines the process of researching about and composing four songs in the Kwakwa̱ ka̱ ’wakw song format for the purposes of Kwak̕wala language revitalization. The
Kwakwa̱ ka̱ ’wakw are an Indigenous people from Northern Vancouver Island, some surrounding
islands, and the adjacent mainland of British Columbia. The language of the Kwakwa̱ ka̱ ’wakw is Kwak̓ wala, which falls under the Wakashan language family. The project “Da̱ nx̱ a̱ laga̱ litła̱ n’s ‘We Will Sing in the House’: Reclaiming Domains of the Home Through Song in Kwak̓ wala” is
about using song in Kwak̕wala and in a culturally-specific Kwakwa̱ ka̱ ’wakw format to aid and enable language learning in the home. The project produced four songs that are composed in Kwak̕wala and structured in traditional Kwakwa̱ ka̱ ’wakw style with targeted language for domains or places and activities that occur in the home. This project was created in hopes of increasing the fluency and number of Kwak̕wala speakers and learners by bringing together these different aspects of language learning, and contributing new and unique research to the field of Indigenous Language Revitalization. One of the goals of this research is to build on current literature about the benefits of using song for language learning, Kwakwa̱ ka̱ ’wakw culture (specifically in terms of song), and the value of home-based and domain-based language
acquisition."
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Keywords
Kwakwa̱ka̱'wakw, language revitalization, speakers, learners, Indigenous people, Northern Vancouver Island, reclaiming