convocation feature
Indigenous language advocate awarded Lieutenant Governor’s Medal
By Nicole North
Since she was five years old, Kaitlyn Cunningham has been learning hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓, one of the three dialects of the Halkomelem language. When Cunningham turned 17, she began volunteering to teach hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ to youth in the community alongside her sister Leah Meunier. In recognition of her lifelong dedication to Indigenous language revitalization, Cunningham is now receiving the .
Kaitlyn’s sisters, Leah and Cheyenne, were the first to tell her about the Certificate at SFU’s Indigenous Languages Program (INLP) where she could learn hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ on Zoom. Cunningham had always felt passionate about language revitalization, but felt intimidated by the idea of applying to post-secondary.
“At that time, I was a new mom,” Cunningham recalls. “My daughter Nathala was only three. My sisters fibbed and said, ‘Oh yeah, it’s only one course.’ I joined the first Zoom class and never looked back. We were fully immersed in hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ four days a week. I began taking courses online year-round, and now I’ve not had a single semester off since Spring 2021. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Cunningham is filled with gratitude for the depth of the support from her family. “I am so grateful for my sisters’ support throughout life and especially throughout my academic journey. One hundred percent, I would not have even considered applying for post-secondary if it weren’t for the support and persistence of my sisters, Cheyenne and Leah. Cheyenne helped me fill out all of my applications and she guided me every single step of the way.”
A significant component of Cunningham’s language revitalization efforts is the founding of the (XWCS). “In 2022, alongside some of my SFU cohort peers and family, we formed the xʷəlməxʷqən Cultural Society. Through this society we collectively work towards implementing hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ in our homes, communities, and online.”
Today, XWCS offers an array of programs, projects, and resources, including facilitating hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ classes online. The society also offers in-person hands-on workshops in which a number of different traditional skills and crafts are taught, such as making leather out of fish skin, crafting beads out of salmon vertebrae, medicine making, and weaving.
“I created lifelong friendships with my classmates. Through the research projects, language work and conferences I’ve attended, I have built strong relationships with so many people. My entire life changed after I joined the Indigenous Languages Program.”
After earning her Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics and Indigenous Languages at SFU, Cunningham is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Indigenous Languages and Linguistics. She emphasizes the importance of building connections with neighbouring Indigenous communities while working toward the common goal of language revitalization. “Our MA cohort has language learners and knowledge keepers from several Indigenous communities, and I am so grateful for all of the friendships that I have formed.”
At the prestigious International Conference on Language Documentation and Conservation () this year, Cunningham and three of her family members co-presented a poster titled Community connections created through language and culture. In addition to her MA cohort peer, niece Lilly Cunningham, Kaitlyn was joined by her sister Leah Meunier, who is a recent INLP MA alumna, and her other sister Cheyenne Cunningham, who is a UBC PhD student. “I was so grateful to have the opportunity to present our poster at an international conference. We all made connections with language champions, linguists and knowledge keepers from all over the world.”
Cunningham highlights how meaningful it is for people working in language revitalization to have the opportunity to make connections with their peers from around the globe. “I always feel so inspired and recharged after these conferences, where I get to learn about other people’s revitalization efforts. It was very refreshing to have open discussions during which I came to see that we all have very similar struggles in our language learning journeys.”
Throughout Cunningham’s journey at SFU, research has been a significant component. “I held a research position with Dr. Donna Gerdts during my undergrad, where I learned how to develop language learning materials through transcription, translation and transliteration. I also had the opportunity to work with legacy materials such as recordings of our last L1 fluent speaker in my family, my late auntie Josephine Good.”
Under the guidance of Gerdts, Cunningham participated in a performance of an original play, which she co-authored, titled θə sciʔeł q̓em̓iʔ cəw̓aθə (Princess Tsawassa: A journey of discovery). You can watch the . The venue of the performance was the Tsawwassen First Nation Longhouse. Gerdts was incredibly proud of all of her students. “But what a lovely occasion, for the play to debut at the place of its origin!”
Cunningham is currently engaged in a research project funded by the FASS Breaking Barriers Interdisciplinary Incentive Grant. Kaitlyn and her niece Lilly are working with Dr. Marianne Ignace, Dr. Joanna Woo and Dr. Eldon Yellowhorn to research Indigenous star lore and astronomy.
Reflecting on her language learning and revitalization journey, Cunningham takes pride in how far she has come. “Before I joined INLP, language work was a hobby for me. Once I met my cohort peers, which consisted of language learners and knowledge keepers from Tsawwassen, Kwikwetlem, Tsleil-Waututh, Chawathil, and Katzie, it was like I met my people. I’ve now completed my Certificate, Diploma and BA – all with the same cohort peers by my side.”
The relationships that Cunningham has cultivated along the way mean everything to her. “I created lifelong friendships with my classmates. Through the research projects, language work and conferences I’ve attended, I have built strong relationships with so many people. My entire life changed after I joined the Indigenous Languages Program.”
For Cunningham, reaching her goals in life and in academia has very much been a group effort. “I am eternally grateful for the support and guidance from all of my instructors, professors, Elders and mentors along the way.”
