About

Sníchim Foundation History

The Sníchim Foundation (previously called Kwi Awt Stelmexw) has been in operation since 2015, delivering immersive language learning programming and cultural immersion services. The Sníchim Foundation was established to continue the work of Kwi Awt Stelmexw —a Squamish language, culture, and arts initiative— with a refined focus on immersive language programming and education. Our activities reflect our unwavering commitment to continued language revitalization in service of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh People’s resurgence. We create programs to develop fluency for intermediate and advanced level speakers, offer rich cultural experiences, and empower speakers to use their language skills in employment opportunities.

The future of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Sníchim gets brighter and healthier each year that we have a new cohort of learners. Many of our graduates choose to continue with language work to help grow and spread it amongst our people. The continuation of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh sníchim is essential to our community, and we see our work as central to the wider project of Sḵwx̱wú7mesh cultural resurgence.

In 2010, fewer than ten fluent Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Sníchim speakers remained in our Nation, and our language faced extinction. Inspired to reverse the decline of our language, we convened an informal group of Sḵwx̱wú7mesh People that met in the homes of community elders to learn about our linguistic heritage. Since then, Sníchim Foundation has grown to become a respected organization with an educational partnership with Simon Fraser University, offering immersive language education and unique cultural programming. We have created a scalable language revitalization plan with the aim of achieving sustainable generational transmission of linguistic and cultural knowledge within the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh People.

Staff

Salia Joseph (St’ax̱í7alut)

Executive Director

Salia Joseph (she/her) is Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, Snuneymuxw, British and Jewish. She is a graduate of the First Nations and Indigenous studies program at UBC and cares deeply about decolonial and intersectional approaches to learning and caring for one another. Salia is… MORE

Tasha Nijjar

Managing Director

Tasha Nijjar (she/her) is passionate about exploring how creativity and social change overlap. She has worked with community and arts organizations using art, film, theatre and social media to amplify grassroots voices. Tasha has over a decade of experience working… MORE

Sarah Jeffrey

Communications Director

Sarah Jeffrey (she/her) is of Gitxsan and German heritage maternally; and of Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and Polish heritage paternally. Sarah was primarily raised in Gitxsan culture and was groomed as a chief’s daughter by her mother and grandmother. In 2017, she began… MORE

Breeann Baker

Education Coordinator

Breeann Baker (she/her) is a descendent of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and Kwakwaka’wakw nations. At the age of 20 she graduated from the third cohort of the Squamish Language Immersion certificate program. Throughout her time in the cohort, she discovered her passion… MORE

Myia Antone (Welwál̓tnaat)

Education Coordinator

Myia Antone (she/her) is a proud youth from Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), with Ukrainian and Norwegian roots. Growing up in Squamish and studying Environment and Sustainability, she explored and loved taking care of the land that her ancestors have occupied… MORE

Swo-wo Billy (Chen̓áx̱wtn)

Language Coordinator

Swu7wu Billy is a descendant from the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and Lil̓wát peoples, He’s from a small village named Wíw̓ḵ’em which is in the town of Squamish along side the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh staḵw (Squamish river). He has had the honor of instructing both… MORE

Charlene George (S7atsáliya)

Language Coordinator

Charlene George (she/her) comes from the sḵwx̱wú7mesh and səlilwətaɬ Nations. She is a proud speaker of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Sníchim (Squamish Language), and is honoured to work amongst a team of brilliant people. She carries a Diploma in Proficiency of a… MORE

Victor Harry (X̱ats’alanex̱w Siy̓ám̓ / Kalanex̱w)

Cultural Coordinator

Victor Harry is from the Sḵwx̱wu7mesh people. He was born and raised in Squamish and now resides in Chilliwack with his wife, Siy̓ám̓athel. Victor received a diploma in Sḵwx̱wu7mesh Sníchim with Simon Fraser University, and he has been working with… MORE

Board Members

Ocean Hyland (Ts;simtelot)

Ocean Hyland (she/her) is an artist who works in the realms and media of painting, engraving, wood carving, and digital design. Along with her practices she enjoys wool weaving and learning about ethnobotany. Ocean currently lives in Qualicum Bay on… MORE

Myia Antone (Welwál̓tnaat)

Education Coordinator

Myia Antone (she/her) is a proud youth from Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), with Ukrainian and Norwegian roots. Growing up in Squamish and studying Environment and Sustainability, she explored and loved taking care of the land that her ancestors have occupied… MORE

Susanna Ciotti

Where Are Your Keys (WAYK)

Susanna Ciotti has a background in education, facilitation, and classical studies. Before joining Where Are Your Keys?, she was a middle and high school Latin teacher in Brooklyn, NY and was an active leader of the local peer-facilitated professional development… MORE

Charlene George (S7atsáliya)

Language Coordinator

Charlene George (she/her) comes from the sḵwx̱wú7mesh and səlilwətaɬ Nations. She is a proud speaker of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Sníchim (Squamish Language), and is honoured to work amongst a team of brilliant people. She carries a Diploma in Proficiency of a… MORE

Language Mentors

Dr. Peter Jacobs (Tnax̱wtn)

Peter Jacobs is a linguist at the University of Victoria and a fluent speaker of his Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Nation language, and one of two elder speakers left in the Nation. Tiná7 tkwa Wiwiḵ’em ta Peter (Peter comes from a Squamish Nation… MORE

Vanessa Campbell (Íyal)

Associate Editor of the Skwx̱wú7mesh-English Dictionary and teacher at the Squamish Language Program, with Squamish Nation. MORE

Partners

Emergent:

The Emergent Fundraising and Consulting team have supported the Snìchim Foundation in all of our fundraising efforts and grant-writing, communications strategies, and writing.

Simon Fraser University (SFU):

In 2016, The Sníchim Foundation partnered with SFU’s First Nations Languages Centre and Department of Linguistics to launch a two-year, full-time, adult immersion program in the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh language. Since then, over 40 students have achieved intermediate proficiency, and we are expanding our offerings to deepen fluency and support learners to take the language into daily life in our communities. The Sníchim Foundation (previously K.A.S.) and SFU have offered a Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Sníchim Certificate Program since 2016. In 2020, SFU in collaboration with The Sníchim Foundation to launch its first cohort of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Sníchim Diploma Program.

Where Are Your Keys (WAYK):

The Sníchim Foundation has a well established partnership with Where are Your Keys (WAYK), an organization specializing in language teaching pedagogy. WAYK was designed as an answer to the challenges of Indigenous Language Revitalization, especially for languages under pressure like Skwx̱wú7mesh Sníchim, due to scarcity of language speakers as a result of colonization. The WAYK system is regarded as the most rapid and effective tool for learning any language, endangered or not. We work with WAYK to deliver all of our language immersion programs and maintain a shared belief that strengthening languages strengthens communities.

Tsleil-Waututh Nation (TWN):

While the Sníchim Foundation is a Sḵwx̱wú7mesh organization, we are deeply connected with the Tsleil-Waututh Nation and we collaborate on many of our programs. Tsleil-Waututh Nation also offers language immersion programming to support the revitalization of the Hunq’eme’nem language. All Sníchim Foundation programming and support services are open to Tsleil-Waututh peoples and reciprocally the Tsleil-Waututh Nation’s language programming remains open to all of our participants. Through our partnership, we are able to share best practices, techniques, and collaborate to achieve our shared long-term language revitalization goals.

Our Mission

The Sníchim Foundation (SF) is an Indigenous-led, charitable organization that builds community by revitalizing the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh sníchim through immersion-based learning with the goal of strengthening our rich Sḵwx̱wú7mesh heritage and supporting the linguistic, cultural, and social resurgence of our people.

Our Vision

The Sníchim Foundation believes that language revitalization is central to the work of decolonization and Indigenous cultural resurgence. Educating members of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Nation to speak and read in our own language is an invaluable step in the work of repairing the harms of colonialism and ongoing forms of racist discrimination. Indigenous Language Revitalization catalyzes positive change at both the individual and community level by enhancing confidence, building skills, and creating new forums for creative expression. By connecting elders and knowledge keepers with young learners, we work to strengthen intergenerational ties and ensure continuity between Sḵwx̱wú7mesh traditions and contemporary cultural forms.

Donate

The Sníchim Foundation runs on funding from government, foundations, and philanthropists, but we can do more with donations from the public. With your generous support, our organization is able to do this essential and urgent work, and your donation will directly fund initiatives like our Language Centre Fund and support job creation for graduates of the diploma program as new language teachers.

We are grateful for every dollar donated to support our very special and sacred work.

DONATE TODAY