In May and June 2024, TEK classes were held across Syilx, St’át’imc, and Nlaka’pamux territories to support three Interior Salishan language cohorts in deepening their language learning through land-based education.
Students engaged in immersive, on-the-land experiences where they used their respective Indigenous languages to identify plants, natural resources, traditional tools, and culturally significant places. The sessions were led by fluent speakers, Elders, and Knowledge Keepers who grounded the teachings in traditional knowledge and ecological relationships.
Highlights included participating in a fish camp at Bridge River, visiting the Housepit 54 Project—a significant archaeological site offering insights into demography, cultural inheritance, and household history—and exploring the Botanie Valley. Students also
had the opportunity to share stories and songs, and to learn about spiritually and culturally significant locations connected to their nations.
These TEK classes strengthened the relationship between language, land, and Indigenous knowledge systems, fostering intergenerational learning and cultural revitalization rooted in place-based teachings.
