Salish School Of Spokane

The Salish Immersion Language Nest Development Project will establish a Salish immersion language nest at Salish School of Spokane serving families with children aged 1 to 3 years with inter-generational, culture-based care, education, and support services.

This project retain and expand a program to train 30 adult speakers of n̓səl̓xčin̓ (Colville Salish) who have strong relationships with the children and families served by SSOS. These new speakers will be teachers mentors, advocates and role-models for inter-generational use and transmission of our critically endangered language, n̓səl̓xčin̓.

The 2022-23 sƛ̓x̌atkʷ n̓səl̓xčin̓ sn̓maʔmáyaʔtn̓ / Salish Immersion School Program will provide Salish immersion preschool, childcare and K-6 education for 33 Native youth from the Spokane Metro Area. The program will be based on traditional Salish culture, and will provide Salish immersion instruction in literacy, math, science, physical education, health, music and art. Participating students will spend approximately 20% of their school days on the land engaged in ceremonies, cultural practice, scientific fieldwork, and/or harvesting and gathering.

This project will train 13 new adult speakers of n̓səl̓xčin̓ (Colville Salish) who have strong existing relationships with the children and families served by Salish School of Spokane. These new speakers will be mentors, advocates and role-models for inter-generational use and transmission of our critically endangered language, n̓səl̓xčin̓.

The project will increase the number of fluent parents in our school community, will create opportunities for parents to speak Salish with their children at school and at home, and will create new Salish math and literacy materials that will support in-school and at-home Salish numeracy and literacy.

The project will retain Salish language and cultural traditions by passing them on to children and families, will increase the availability of Salish immersion education for children in the Spokane metro area, will increase the Salish proficiency of students, families, and teachers, and will create new Salish language curriculum materials.