15th year of Lushootseed camp

Camp bolsters reawakening of Lushootseed language

By Bill SheetsJones looked around the Kenny Moses Building on Tulalip Bay on Thursday and saw dozens of tribal children learning words and phrases in Lushootseed, the original language spoken by Salish tribes in the Puget Sound basin.

The children were split into groups at an annual camp in which they learn the language and culture through songs, drawing, painting, weaving, an old printing press and even a Nintendo DSi.

"I'm really proud of them doing that," Jones said. "It's just great."

The camp is in its 15th year. About 200 children ages 5 through 12 sign up for the camp each year, said Natosha Gobin, a language teacher for the tribes.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Lushootseed in Public Schools and Tulalip Language Camp.

Below:  "Stan Jones, a Tulalip tribal leader, recalls how kids were once punished for speaking Lushootseed. 'Soap in the mouth,' he said."