Na eslhílhkw’iws sḵwálwen cht
Feeling of Belonging
We heard you share about wanting to learn our Sḵwx̱wú7mesh sníchim (language) and to continue to strengthen our cultural traditions and practices. You said this could happen through more cultural gatherings and opportunities to learn about the land and our traditions. You also shared a strong desire to spend more time together as a community.
A Feeling of Belonging is a fundamental need expressed by our people, deeply rooted in our history, that affects our physical and mental wellbeing. It is relational — to people, to place, to culture. The themes for improving our feeling of belonging are restoring our connection to our culture and language, strengthening our community bonds, and affirming our connection to the land and water. Within a generation all Sḵwx̱wú7mesh People will feel a Feeling of Belonging by having a strong and healthy connection to each other, our culture, our language and our traditions.
The feeling of belonging relates to our values of Stélmexw and Snew̓ íyelh. When we have a deep understanding of who are as Sḵwx̱wú7mesh people through our protocols and practices of our ways of being and doing we can hold a strong feeling of belonging within our families and communities.
“When we bring language and land together, we suddenly have an understanding of everything that encompasses the worldview and way of life. The transformative experience that the individual undergoes as they learn the language and the land is undeniable and could have a far reaching positive impact on our nation.”
-
“A focus on Language nests and the creation of consumable media. Classes are fine, but language learning is all input! Please create books, tv shows, movies, music, and podcasts to encourage language acquisition. Create jobs and compensate knowledge holders and artists for their work.”
-
“Language revitalization, teaching people our language. It is important for now (to keep it alive) and when you pass away so we can talk to our ancestors!”
-
“More education and resources and opportunities for members to learn how to harvest things properly and how to practice spiritual practices properly”
-
“The longhouse being built in Squamish just more cultural medicines for our people. I like the cedar strip harvesting, beading, drum making and wool weaving workshops maybe a language class for the community after work hours preferably but more funding towards these sorts of things help connect us to our ancestors and brings a sense of belonging, it’s good medicine for our all people. More culture in our community would benefit us and our future generations a lot.”
-
“As a squamish nation member and with our new born baby girl, I would highly hope she could grow up proud of being First Nation. Education is what we care about the most. We would love to join progams teaching first nation language, crafts, dancing and ect. It will also benefit to open to nonfirst nation kids or families. It will also a good way to have more influence on more people.”
-
“being taught all our traditions, values, language, our dances, You can tell it makes a difference in their spirit. It is important to have Indigenous teachings and values like respect your elders”
-
“The language and culture is implemented in the school district curriculum, offered language classes at home or in the work place, Squamish Nation library or study hall for knowledge keepers to teach students of all ages.”
-
“We need culture and language to be a natural way of living through constant informal opportunities.”
-
“A mentorship program where people sign up so they can participate/learn cultural protocols, teachings, etc. An online curriculum of cultural protocols to learn from home.”
-
“Sense of belonging to community is important for well being and cultural needs.”
-
“more programs for kids and community based sports”
-
“I would like to see more opportunities for families to participate in the weaving, hat making and other traditional cultural activities.”
-
“Providing more living and recreational space to allow the community to grow and thrive!”
-
“Reconnecting with people that have left the community or have never lived in community”
-
“I feel like we need more activities where all of our families can be involved, from school-aged to Elders”
-
“We need to reconnected to our land, practices and knowledge. We need to re-learn how to be environmental and sustainable and be care-takers of the land.”
-
“Teaching our membership about our lands and waters and legends so we can protect and advocate for our land”
-
“Mentors take youth up and teach them stewardship of our territory”
-
“More community connections to land based learning”
-
“Teach people about the forest, get people on the land to learn”