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History Of British Columbia
The history of British Columbia covers the period from the arrival of Paleo-Indians thousands of years ago to the present day. Prior to European colonization, the lands encompassing present-day British Columbia were inhabited for millennia by a number of First Nations. Several European expeditions to the region were undertaken in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. After the Oregon boundary dispute between the UK and US government was resolved in 1846, the colonies of Vancouver Island and colony of British Columbia were established; the former in 1849 and the latter in 1858. The two colonies were merged to form a single colony in 1866, which later joined the Canadian Confederation on 20 July 1871. An influential historian of British Columbia, Margaret Ormsby, presented a structural model of the province's history in ''British Columbia: A History'' (1958); that has been adopted by numerous historians and teachers. Chad Reimer says, "in many aspects, it still has not been ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paleo-Indians
Paleo-Indians were the first peoples who entered and subsequently inhabited the Americas towards the end of the Late Pleistocene period. The prefix ''paleo-'' comes from . The term ''Paleo-Indians'' applies specifically to the lithic period in the Western Hemisphere and is distinct from the term ''Paleolithic''.''Paleolithic'' specifically refers to the period between million years ago and the end of the Pleistocene in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is not used in New World archaeology. Traditional theories suggest that big-animal hunters crossed the Bering Strait from North Asia into the Americas over a land bridge ( Beringia). This bridge existed from 45,000 to 12,000 BCE (47,000–14,000 BP). Small isolated groups of hunter-gatherers migrated alongside herds of large herbivores far into Alaska. From BCE ( BP), ice-free corridors developed along the Pacific coast and valleys of North America. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gitxsan Language
The Gitxsan language , or ''Gitxsanimaax'' (also rendered ''Gitksan, Giatikshan, Gityskyan, Giklsan and Sim Algyax''), is an endangered Tsimshianic language of northwestern British Columbia, closely related to the neighboring Nisga’a language. The two groups are, however, politically separate and prefer to refer to Gitxsan and Nisga'a as distinct languages. According to the Report on the status of B.C First Nations Languages there are 523 fluent speakers, 639 that understand or somewhat speak and 344 learning speakers. Gitxsan means "People of the Skeena River" ( being the name of the Skeena in Gitxsan). Dialects Gitxsan language is primarily separated into Geenix or Eastern and Gyeets or Western Gitxsan, although each village has its own dialect. The Geenix or Eastern villages include Kispiox (Ansbayaxw), Glen Vowell (Sigit'ox), and Hazelton (Git-an'maaxs). The Gyeets or Western villages include Kitwanga (Gjtwjngax), Gitanyow (Git-antaaw) and Kitseguecla (Gijigyukwhl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shuswap Language
The Shuswap language (; , ) is a northern Interior Salish language traditionally spoken by the Shuswap people (, ) of British Columbia. An endangered language, Shuswap is spoken mainly in the Central and Southern Interior of British Columbia between the Fraser River and the Rocky Mountains. According to the First Peoples' Cultural Council, 200 people speak Shuswap as a mother tongue, and there are 1,190 semi-speakers. Shuswap is the northernmost of the Interior Salish languages, which are spoken in Canada and the Pacific Northwest of the United States. There are two dialects of Shuswap: *Eastern: Kinbasket (Kenpesq’t) and Shuswap Lake (Qw7ewt/Quaaout) *Western: Canim Lake (Tsq’escen), Chu Chua (Simpcw), Deadman's Creek (Skitsestn/Skeetchestn)–Kamloops (Tk'emlups), Fraser River (Splatsin, Esk’et), and Pavilion (Tsk’weylecw)–Bonaparte (St’uxtews) The other Northern Interior Salish languages are Lillooet and Thompson. Most of the material in this article is from K ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sekani Language
The Sekani language or Tse’khene is a Northern Athabaskan language spoken by 135 of the Sekani people of north-central British Columbia, Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun .... Most of them are only semispeakers, and it is considered critically endangered. Phonology Consonants Sekani has 33 consonants: Vowels Tone Sekani has two tones: low and high. High tone is the more common tone. Syllables phonologically marked for tone are low. For example, means , while means . Nasalization Nasalization of vowels is phonemic. The root means , while the root means . Nasal vowels also contrast with vowels followed by . Orthography The orthography of the Kwadcha Tsek'ene dictionary uses the following letters. In addition, represents , represents , repr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Saanich Language
Saanich (also Sənčáθən, written as in Saanich orthography, ) is the language of the First Nations Saanich people in the Pacific Northwest region of northwestern North America. Saanich is a Coast Salishan language in the Northern Straits dialect continuum, the varieties of which are closely related to the Klallam language. Language revitalization efforts "The School Board, together with the FirstVoices program for revitalizing Aboriginal languages, is working to teach a new generation to speak " at the ȽÁU¸WELṈEW̱ Tribal School. The first Grade 12 class is scheduled to graduate in June 2026. SENĆOŦEN texting, mobile app and portal A Saanich texting app was released in 2012. A SENĆOŦEN iPhone app was released in October 2011. An online dictionary, phrasebook, and language learning portal is available at the First Voices SENĆOŦEN Community Portal. Phonology Vowels Saanich has no rounded vowels in native vocabulary. As in many languages, vowels are stro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nuxalk Language
Nuxalk (, ), also known as Bella Coola , is a Salishan language spoken by the Nuxalk people. Today, it is an endangered language in the vicinity of the Canadian town of Bella Coola, British Columbia. While the language is still sometimes called ''Bella Coola'' by linguists, the native name ''Nuxalk'' is preferred by some, notably by the Nuxalk Nation's government. Though the number of truly fluent speakers has not increased, the language is now taught in both the provincial school system and the Nuxalk Nation's own school, , which means "a place of learning". Nuxalk language classes, if taken to at least the Grade 11 level, are considered adequate second-language qualifications for entry to the major B.C. universities. CKNN-FM Nuxalk Radio is also working to promote the language. Name The name "Nuxalk" for the language comes from the native (or ), referring to the " Bella Coola Valley". "Bella Coola" is a rendering of the Heiltsuk , meaning "stranger". Geographical dist ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nuu-chah-nulth Language
Nuu-chah-nulth (), Nootka (), is a Wakashan language in the Pacific Northwest of North America on the west coast of Vancouver Island, from Barkley Sound to Quatsino Sound in British Columbia by the Nuu-chah-nulth peoples. Nuu-chah-nulth is a Southern Wakashan language related to Nitinaht and Makah. It is the first language of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast to have documentary written materials describing it. In the 1780s, Captains Vancouver, Quadra, and other European explorers and traders frequented Nootka Sound and the other Nuu-chah-nulth communities, making reports of their voyages. From 1803–1805 John R. Jewitt, an English blacksmith, was held captive by chief Maquinna at Nootka Sound. He made an effort to learn the language, and in 1815 published a memoir with a brief glossary of its terms. Name The provenance of the term "Nuu-chah-nulth", meaning "along the outside f Vancouver Island dates from the 1970s, when the various groups o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nisga'a Language
Nisga’a (also Nisg̱a’a, Nass, Nisgha, Nishka, Niska, Nishga, Nisqa’a) is an indigenous language of northwestern British Columbia. It is a part of the language family generally called Tsimshianic, although some Nisga'a people resent the precedence the term gives to Coast Tsimshian. Nisga’a is very closely related to Gitxsan. Indeed, many linguists regard Nisga’a and Gitksan as dialects of a single Nass–Gitksan language. The two are generally treated as distinct languages out of deference to the political separation of the two groups. History and usage Like almost all other First Nations languages of British Columbia, Nisga’a is an endangered language. In the 2018 Report on the Status of B.C. First Nations Languages, there were 311 fluent speakers and 294 active language learners reported in a population of 6,113. Anglican missionary James Benjamin McCullagh conducted much early linguistic work in Nisga’a, preparing translations of parts of the Bible and Boo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lillooet Language
Lillooet (; Lillooet: / , ) is a Salishan language of the Interior branch spoken by the Stʼatʼimc in southern British Columbia, Canada, around the middle Fraser and Lillooet Rivers. The language of the Lower Lillooet people uses the name ', because ' means "the language of the people of ''Sat̓''", i.e. the Upper Lillooet of the Fraser River. Lillooet / St̓át̓imcets is a critically endangered language with around 120 fluent speakers and 393 semi-speakers. In 2022, there was a reported 1092 people learning the language. Regional varieties St̓át̓imcets has two main dialects: * ''Upper/Northern St̓át̓imcets'' ( St̓át̓imcets, Fountain) * ''Lower/Southern St̓at̓imcets'' (a.k.a. Lil̓wat7úlmec, Mount Currie) Upper St̓át̓imcets is spoken around Fountain, Pavilion, Lillooet, and neighboring areas. Lower St̓át̓imcets is spoken around Mount Currie and neighboring areas. An additional subdialect called Skookumchuck is spoken within the Lower St̓át̓imcets ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kwakʼwala
Kwakʼwala or Kwak̓wala (), previously known as Kwakiutl (), is a Wakashan language spoken by about 450 Kwakwakaʼwakw people around Queen Charlotte Strait in Western Canada. It has shared considerable influence with other languages of the Pacific Northwest, especially those of the unrelated Salishan family. While Kwakʼwala is severely endangered, revitalization efforts are underway to preserve the language. While Kwakʼwala had no written records until European contact, archeological and linguistic evidence shed light on its prehistory. Northern and Southern branches of the Wakashan language family split approximately 2,900 years ago. Northern Wakashan (or Kwakiutlan) speakers likely expanded outward from the north of Vancouver Island, displacing Salishan languages on the mainland of what is now British Columbia. Kwakʼwala was first written by missionaries during the colonization of the Pacific Northwest. As part of its policy of forced cultural assimilation of indigen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kutenai Language
The Kutenai language ( ), also Kootenai, Kootenay, Ktunaxa, and Ksanka, is the native language of the Kutenai people of Montana and Idaho in the United States and British Columbia in Canada. It is typically considered a language isolate, unrelated to the Salishan family of languages spoken by neighboring tribes on the coast and in the interior Plateau. The Kutenai also use , Ktunaxa Sign Language. Classification Kutenai is typically considered a language isolate. There have been attempts to place Kutenai in either a Macro- Algonquian or Macro- Salishan language family, most recently with Salish, but these claims are not generally accepted. Typology Like other languages in the area, Kutenai has a rich inventory of consonants and a small inventory of vowels, though there are allophones of the three basic phonemic vowels. The lack of a phonemic distinction between voiced and voiceless consonants is much as in other languages of the area. Because Kutenai is on the periphery of th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kaska Language
The Kaska language is an endangered Athabaskan language. Traditionally, Kaska was an oral aboriginal language used by the Kaska Dena people. The Kaska Dene region consists of a small area in the Southwestern part of the Northwest Territories, the Southeastern part of Yukon Territory, and the Northern part of British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that .... The communities that are in the Kaska Dene region are Fort Ware in N.W.T.; Ross River and Watson Lake in Y.T.; Dease Lake, Good Hope Lake, Lower Post, Fireside, and Muncho Lake in B.C. Kaska is made up of eight dialects, all of which have similar pronunciations and expressional terms. The town of Watson Lake was established around the period of the second World War when the Alaska Highway was built in 19 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
