HEILTSUK LANGUAGE
STUDIES
- To preserve a permanent record and
understanding of the Heiltsuk language by:
- developing a practical orthography
(alphabet) for writing down the Heiltsuk language;
- recording and analyzing words in order
to produce comprehensive word lists, bi-lingual dictionaries, and
taxonomies;
- analyzing and identifying the basic
structure of the Heiltsuk language;
- recording an extensive body of oral
traditions, narratives, and discourses, and transcribing these
into English.
- To assist the understanding and interpretation of Heiltsuk
culture through linguistic analysis of information recorded or
transmitted in Heiltsuk.
- To promote and assist in the development of Heiltsuk language
instruction programs.
Heiltsuk is a member of the NORTH WAKASHAN family
of languages
Currently, the Heiltsuk language is being taught in classes
from Elementary School up to the eighth grade level. The Heiltsuk
Cultural Education Centre collaborates with Bella Bella Community
School's Heiltsuk language program.
The Heiltsuk language is far more complicated than the English
language in that the Heiltsuk language has 60 base sounds
compared to the English languages 26 base sounds. For this
reason, a special program allowing us to type the Heiltsuk
language font had to be employed. The program is called Keyman
3.2.
The Heiltsuk Language font is available for download. Please
click the link below to download the font installer. Download and
installation instructions can be found by clicking on the clink
below.
Below are the kestroke instructions for typing the special
characters needed to type the words of the Heilstuk language.
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