Saanich people

For other uses, see Saanich (disambiguation).

Saanich

Elsie Copper and her brother, who is wearing traditional Saanich dance regalia. George Gustav Heye, right. 1938 photo, NMAI.
Regions with significant populations
Canada	(British Columbia)
United States	(Washington)
Languages
English, SENĆOŦEN
Religion
Christianity, Animism
Related ethnic groups
Coast Salish

Map of the Saanich Reserves

The Saanich or W̱SÁNEĆ are indigenous nations from the north coast of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington, the Gulf and San Juan Islands, southern Vancouver Island and the southern edge of the Lower Mainland in British Columbia.

Communities

• BOḰEĆEN – Pauquachin
• MÁLEXEȽ – Malahat
• SEMYOME – Semiahmoo
• SXIMEȽEȽ – Esquimalt
• T’sou-ke – Sooke
• ȾÁ,UTW̱ – Tsawout
• W̱ĆIÁNEW̱ – Becher Bay
• W̱JOȽEȽP – Tsartlip
• W̱SÍKEM – Tseycum

Tribal school

Four of the Saanich first nations, Tsartlip, Pauquachin, Tseycum and Tsawout, created the ȽÁU,WELṈEW̱ Tribal School in 1989. It holds classes from preschool to grade 9, where SENĆOŦEN, the W̱SÁNEĆ language and W̱SÁNEĆ culture are taught along with the provincial curriculum. The school is also a venue for community events.

See also

• Saanich language
• Coast Salish peoples

Further reading

• Bill, Adriane; Cayou, Roxanne; & Jim, Jacqueline. (2003). NET'̸'E NEḰA'̸' SḴELÁLṈEW'̲' [One green tree]. Victoria, B.C.: First Peoples’ Cultural Foundation & L̵ÁU,WELṈEW̲ Tribal School. ISBN 1-4120-0626-0.
• Mithun, Marianne. (1999). The languages of Native North America. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-23228-7 (hbk); ISBN 0-521-29875-X.
• Montler, Timothy. (1996). Languages and dialects in Straits Salishan. Proceedings of the International Conference on Salish and Neighboring Languages, 31, 249-256.
• Montler, Timothy. (1999). Language and dialect variation in Straits Salishan. Anthropological linguistics, 41 (4), 462-502.
• YELḰÁTT̵E [Claxton, Earl, Sr.]; & STOLC̸EL̵ [Elliot, John, Sr.]. (1994). Reef Net Technology of the Saltwater People. Brentwood Bay, B.C.: Saanich Indian School Board.

External links

• An Outline of the Morphology and Phonology of Saanich, North Straits Salish (Timothy Montler's site)
• Saanich Classified Word List (Timothy Montler's site)
• SENĆOŦEN (Saanich, Northern Straits Salish) (Chris Harvey's Native Language, Font & Keyboard)
• Saanich Indian School Board
• SENĆOŦEN Welcome page (First Voices)
• ȽÁU,WELṈEW̱ Tribal School