SENCOTEN: A Dictionary of the Saanich Language

The SENCOTEN language historically has been spoken on the Saanich Peninsula of southern Vancouver Island and islands of the Haro and Rosario Straits and the southern Strait of Georgia, today divided by the US-Canada border.Rosario Straits and the southern Strait of Georgia, today divided by the US-Canada border. SENCOTEN-also known as Saanich-is now the first language of fewer than ten people, as English has replaced the language in everyday use. However, because of revitalization efforts that began in the 1970s with David Elliott Sr., who developed the unique SENCOTEN writing system, there is now a large and growing number of people learning to speak the language. SENCOTEN is increasingly being used in both ceremonial and casual settings and, thanks to the W̱SANEC School Board, classes in the language are taught at all levels, with an immersion curriculum also offered.SENCOTEN: A Dictionary of the Saanich Language is the first complete SENCOTEN-English dictionary and also includes a brief introduction to the language as well as English-SENCOTEN, affix, and root indexes. The dictionary is based on audio recordings made with twenty-six elders, all native speakers. Their words, sentences, and stories made this dictionary possible.