Language is Culture: Explore, Learn and Connect with Ilhe Qwal
Imagine having the Hul'q'umi'num language at your fingertips, ready to explore through the voices of Elders, captivating stories, colourful visuals, and interactive games. A new chapter in the preservation and revitalization of Hul'q'umi'num begins with the launch of Ilhe Qwal (Let’s Talk), a free, immersive language app developed by Kw’umut Lelum in partnership with Ogoki Learning Inc. This app brings Hul’q'umi'num—the language of the Coast Salish People—directly to users, offering a fully interactive and engaging experience. Ilhe Qwal welcomes people from all backgrounds to engage with and learn the Hul'q'umi'num language, regardless of prior knowledge or experience.
Whether you’re a newcomer or someone deepening your fluency, this app is a powerful tool for embracing the language and heritage of the Coast Salish community. From the voices of Elders to fun vocabulary games, Ilhe Qwal is designed to make learning accessible, enjoyable, and deeply connected to the culture.
A Tool for Language Revitalization
The Hul'q'umi'num language is the heartbeat of the Coast Salish people, deeply intertwined with our connection to the land. Language is the root of our culture and preserving and learning Hul'q'umi'num is essential to honour the wisdom of ancestors and ensure future generations retain their strong ties to traditions, stories, and worldviews passed down for centuries. With every word, song, and story in this app, users contribute to cultural resilience, keeping the community’s spirit alive while empowering individuals with the knowledge of their heritage.
Created by the Community, For the Community
One of the challenges in developing a Hul’q’umi’num language app is that there are many different dialects and spellings of Hul’q’umi’num words across our Nations. We are aware that the pronunciations and spellings of the words in this app may not be exactly the way they are used in each community. We relied on invaluable contributions and recordings from knowledge keepers including Qiyup’elenexw Gary Smith (Snuneymuxw), Tsumqwatun Lawrence Mitchell (Snaw-Naw-As), Thiyuas Florence James (Penelakut), Danny Norris (Halalt), Shulqwilum Ray Harris (Stz’uminus), Wholwolet'za George Harris (Stz’uminus) and S-eshiye’ Harvey Seymour (Stz’uminus) who worked together to include as many sayings, teachings, and songs as possible. Their contributions allowed the creation of an app that not only preserves the language but also brings it to life with interactive games, quizzes, and tests designed for all ages. Teachers can incorporate Ilhe Qwal into their curriculum, families can explore the language together, and users can deepen their fluency anywhere—helping Hul'q'umi'num thrive for generations to come.
Looking Ahead: What’s next for Ilhe Qwal
Though Ilhe Qwal has been released, it remains in its early stages, with much more on the horizon. Users can look forward to updates with expanded vocabulary, songs and learning opportunities. Each update will introduce fresh ways to engage with Hul’q’umi’num, from new words and traditional songs to interactive stories and challenges.
Exploring the Features of Ilhe Qwal
Dictionary: Our comprehensive dictionary, containing over 1,000 Hul'q'umi'num words and phrases, is one of the app's core features. It’s organized alphabetically and covers a wide range of vocabulary, from actions and greetings to numbers, providing users with an extensive resource to deepen their understanding of Hul'q'umi'num. The dictionary includes a convenient search function, so you can quickly find any word you're curious about without scrolling.
Games: Our games are a fun and engaging part of Ilhe Qwal, featuring a range of difficulty levels—easy, medium, and hard—each offering unique styles of play. You’ll find games like bubble pop, archery, drag and pop, matching, hidden shapes, and many more! Beyond offering varying levels of challenge, each game allows you to first learn and then practice, with a built-in feature to track your progress and stats. Filled with colorful visuals, these games make learning enjoyable for all ages, turning language practice into an interactive adventure.
Quizzes: Our 60-second practice quizzes bring a fresh and unique experience to Ilhe Qwal, offering over 10 different quizzes to choose from on topics like colours, food and drink, body parts, animals, and more. These timed quizzes test your knowledge through a variety of question formats: some ask you to listen to a Hul'q'umi'num phrase and choose true or false, while others challenge you to identify objects in Hul'q'umi'num, allowing you to develop a range of skills. The quizzes are fun to do with family, friends, or even as a classroom activity—making learning a shared experience.
Knowledge Tests: Our knowledge tests take things a step up from the quizzes, featuring 10 different multiple-choice tests across categories like items, clothing, feelings, family/home, and even an expert level. Unlike the practice quizzes, there’s no timer—allowing you all the time you need to think. However, you only get 4 chances per test! But don’t worry; if you reach the limit, you can retake the test to try again.
Hul’q’umi’num Songs: Time to grab your headphones or speaker! Ilhe Qwal includes two Hul’q'umi'num playlists—“Stz’uminus Songs” and “Children’s Songs”—each with over 10 songs. From traditional protocol songs to playful tunes like "Brush Your Teeth" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider," these playlists are perfect for family listening and for teaching young learners. Each song features karaoke-style lyrics in both English and Hul’q'umi'num, allowing you to follow along with ease. You can also pause, play, and restart songs whenever you like, making it a fun and flexible way to engage with Hul'q'umi'num music.
Download Ilhe Qwal today and start your journey into the language, stories, and spirit of the Coast Salish community.
For IPhone Users: https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/ilhe-qwal/id6447658350
For Android Users: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.Ogoki.Kwumut&hl=en_CA
Stay tuned as Ilhe Qwal continues to evolve, bringing the language to life in ever more meaningful ways.