Stó:lō Signal Stó:lō Xwexwilmexw Treaty Association

Guest:            Stacy McNeil, Executive Director of Sq’ewqéyl This is a clean slate. We’re starting over. Let’s see what we can do. Stacy McNeil was given these words of encouragement when she started her job as manager of Sq’ewqéyl, one of several small Stó:lō communities surrounded by the City of Chilliwack. She knew she could … Continue reading "S02E09 Lhlímèlhcha o eyálewet “We’ll do it ourselves”"

Guests:            Naxaxalhts’i Dr. Albert (Sonny) McHalsie When Stó:lō Elder Elizabeth Herrling told Sonny McHalsie that knowledge is only important when you share – that you could be the smartest person in the world and know everything, but if you don’t share it, it’s meaningless – it set him on a path to become the … Continue reading "S02E08 Ma:mt’ lam te mekw wat. “Share with everybody.”"

The Halq’eméylem language is spoken from Five Mile Creek near Yale to the mouth of the Fraser River. Christine Seymour of Sq’ewqéyl did not plan to become a language teacher when she went to university, but that’s how her career has worked out. With only one fluent speaker of the Upriver dialect left, we must … Continue reading "S02 E07 Tset hikwstexw te sqwelteltsetwe: Hold our language high"

How do youth stay on a good path when there is so much going on in the world and in their personal lives? In this episode, we talk to rising football star, Tyson George Kelly, and to the Stó:lō Xwexwílmexw youth coordinator Jen Archie about an important Stó:lō principle Thehítchexw ta’ sqwálewel “Keep your mind … Continue reading "S02 E06 Thehítchexw ta’ sqwálewel “Keep your mind on what you’re doing.”"

In the old way, the Elders give someone a name because they recognize the child’s ancestors or their spirit. But even though someone receives a name, they still have to earn it. In this episode, we talk to the members of one Ch’iyáqtel/Tzeachten family about their ancestral names and how they received them. Xaxa stexw … Continue reading "SO2E05: Xaxa stexw te selsila:lh te skwixw. Respect your ancestors’ name"

Stó:lō people have two important types of stories. Sxwōxwiyá:m — our creation stories, or stories of our distant past and Sqwélqwel or true news, which are stories passed down between generations. In this fourth episode of the season we explore storytelling and the oral tradition and why it is important to our people. We welcome … Continue reading "S02E04 This Is Who We Are. Storytelling and the Oral Tradition"