Esquimalt Nation has now published an online Lekwungen dictionary – available through First Voices!
Dr. Elmer George and Linguist Andrew Cienski have been documenting and preserving the language together over the last ten years, spending the last year and a half working to make this online dictionary available to members and the general public. This accomplishment is a powerful step forward in reclaiming and revitalizing the Lekwungen language for generations to come.
The dictionary has just under 3,000 entries – about a third of which have example sentences and audio available. It will be a continuously evolving project so keep checking in for updates and additions.
You can find the dictionary next to its sister dialect of SENĆOŦEN on the First Voices website.
Please feel free to explore and become familiar with the dictionary. Please also note that Esquimalt Nation will be working with the Greater Victoria School District to formulate a Language Protocol that will ensure that language integration is undertaken in a way that is culturally safe. Thank you for your excitement (and patience. Stay tuned for the Language Protocol in the fall that will guide how to use this dictionary in classrooms.