Language directly connects Samish citizens to their families, cultural concepts, history, and place in an authentic and timeless way.
The mission of the Xws7ámeshqen Program is to revitalize and sustain the worldview that connects us to our land, our ancestors, and our unique identity as Samish people by developing a cadre of young language revitalization professionals who will serve as staff for the future expansion of the language program.
October Challenge
Learn to say the first half of the Xws7ámeshqen (Samish language) alphabet and share it with us to receive a prize in the mail during November.
Characters: 7, O, Ts, Ts', Ch, Ch', A, E, H, I, K, Kw, Kw', L, Lh, Tl', M, and N
November Challenge
Learn to say the second half Xws7ámeshqen alphabet and share it with us to receive a prize in the mail during December.
Characters: Ng, P, P', Q, Q', Qw, Qw', S, Sh, T, T', U, W, Xw, X, Xw, and Y
Learning Resources
Watch the Samish alphabet pronunciation video above and visit the eClassroom to navigate audio recordings for each character.
How to Submit
- Email a recorded video or voice note to language@samishtribe.nsn.us, please include your contact information.
- Call 360-726-3674 and leave a voicemail with your Language Challenge submission, name, and contact information.
In the past year, 20 dedicated students have learned to introduce themselves in Samish language. To be notified of upcoming opportunities, contact our language teaching department.
Former students will be automatically updated about Language Department projects.