Language & Culture
What we do
Weyt-kp xwexwéytep
(hello everyone).
The Language and Culture department is responsible for planning and delivering cultural and language activities for the Simpcw community. We also teach language to Neqweyqwelsten school and lead other language activities and coordinate cultural and seasonal community celebrations.
The Simpcw people speak a variation of the western dialect of Secwepemctsín (the language of the Secwepemc or Shuswap people) which has been passed down from generation to generation. Secwepemctsín belongs to the Interior Salish language family. It is through the language that the Simpcw are tied so closely to the land and to each other. Our people were united by our common language and shared values based on resource gathering and the maintenance of communal ties. The written system (orthography) was only developed in the 1970s by Dutch linguist Aert Kuipers.
Through the annual Simpcw Comprehensive Community Planning, language and culture continued to surface as a priority. In 2011 a Language Coordinator was hired. The program expanded in September 2020 and has grown every since under the leadership of language department manager Charli Fortier.
Language learning resources are readily available for on and off reserve Simpcwemc upon request and a language portal will be established on this website soon.
Our Team
Charlie Fortier - Language Manager
Charli Fortier is the Language Manager for Simpcw. Before this position, she worked as the Language and Cultural Coordinator which was a result of Simpcw's comprehensive community planning process. As the Language Manager, Charli has taught the Simpcw Language and Culture Staff credited courses through Simon Fraser University (SFU) and will remain the main instructor the upcoming Simpcw cohort for the Language Proficiency Certificate in Secwepemctsín. She works closely with Elder William Pete, and other fluent Elders within the Secwépemc Nation to elicit, translate and transcribe the language. She helps guide other departments in implementing language and culture into various programs.
contact: charli.fortier@simpcw.com
Phone: 250-672-9995 Ext.: 256
Rae Bowser - Cultural Education Worker
Rae Bowser has been the Cultural Education Worker since November 2022. Previously she was the Cultural Coordinator where she had been organizing community events, but has been enjoying her new role as it allows her to spend more working with Secwepemctsín. As the Cultural Education Worker, Rae has taken on teaching Secwepemctsín at Barriere Secondary School and learning to transcribe during language Sessions with Grampa Bill. Rae is excited that she will be completing her First Nations Language Proficiency through Simon Fraser University in 2024.
contact: Rae.Bowser@simpcw.com
Phone: 250-672-9995 Ext.: 242
Angie Rainer - Language Teacher
Angie is the Language Teacher within the Language and Culture Department. She stepped into this role in 2019 along with Tiffany as her assistant. Prior to being the Language Teacher, Angie worked in the Headstart Program as an Early Childhood Educator. Angie is excited to carry on her work within Neqweyqwelsten School where she helping the elevate the level of language being taught.
contact:
phone: 250-672-9995 Ext.: 242
Mary Mackenzie - Cultural Preservation Worker
Mary is excited to be the Cultural Preservation Worker. Previously she was the Archives Assistant within the Natural Resources Department. Mary is excited to learn language and culture with our elders and knowledge keepers. She is also excited to spend more time on the land with our team. Mary looks forward to organizing monthly events where she can strengthen her connection with the community.
contact: mary.mackenzie@simpcw.com
Phone: 250-672-9995 Ext.: 242
Tiffany Bowser - Language Assistant
Tiffany started off in the Language and Culture Department as the Language IT person and then switched to her role as the Language Assistant. She has been a part of the Language and Culture Department since 2019. Prior to that she was an Education Assistant in Neqweyqwelsten School. She is excited to continue her language learning with Grampa Bill and to implement what she learns in Neqweyqwelsten School. She has a special interest in plant studies, natural medicines, and what plants mean to us culturally.
contact: Language.assistant@simpcw.com
Phone: 250-672-9995 Ext.: 242
Monica Jules - Language Resource Worker
Monica is proud to announce that she is the Language Resource Worker within the Language and Culture Department. She started working within our department at the start of December and is excited to step into this role so that she can carry on her Kyé7e Mona’s legacy of language work. She looks forward to working with Grampa Bill and wants to dedicate herself to preserving our language in the best way possible.
contact: monica.jules@simpcw.com
phone: 250-672-9995 Ext.: 242