Visit with the sea

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An easy-to-use and attractive new Web site gives exposure to the Nuu-chah-nulth language, as well as a diversity of marine life in the region.

Visitors can simply point and click onto "Sea Creatures" found at the West Coast Vancouver Island Aquatic Management Board (AMB) homepage at www.westcoastaquatic.ca and select from a variety of images of shellfish, sea mammals and other sea life. The voice of either Nuu-chah-nulth Elder Carrie Little or Kathy Robinson can be heard pronouncing the word in English and in Nuu-chah-nulth that corresponds to the image seen on the screen.

According to Kelly Foxcroft-Poirier, the AMB is the only Web site of its kind in Canada. She said the site's guiding principle is Hishukish Ts'awalk, which means everything is one.

"The connection of the Nuu-chah-nulth people to aquatic resources is a really important principle of the board," said Foxcroft-Poirier.

In addition to this new language tool, a poster has been produced featuring the images of sea creatures and their traditional Nuu-chah-nulth names. The posters have already been distributed to schools, offices and other agencies.

Since the new language feature was added there has been a great deal of interest from people along the coast. Foxcroft-Poirier said people have sent in e-mails asking when they could see more things like this.

"We got a lot of e-mails from people who thought this was great," said Foxcroft-Poirier, who said the AMB looks forward to future projects with the Nuu-chah-nulth people with regards to language helping the public to understand the long connection the Nuu-chah-nulth have to the larger eco-system.

As for the future goal of the Web site, Foxcroft-Poirier said they want to be the primary source for all kinds of information for the region.

"We are a repository to bring together traditional knowledge, Nuu-chah-nulth's language, scientific knowledge, scientific data and reports, academic writing, in addition to stories, legends and statistical information," said Foxcroft-Poirier. "So we want to be a one-stop shop for all kinds of information and research for West Coast Vancouver research."

Keeping the Nuu-chah-nulth language and culture alive is vitally important to Cliff Atleo, an AMB co-chair.

"Our language is being threatened and with this contribution to our dying language, I am really proud of the AMB," said Atleo. "We really need to escalate our efforts to try and protect and enhance what we have."

This project was made possible through a partnership with the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council and Nuu-chah-nulth language project, and with joint funding from the AMB.