New Valentine's Day card wants to teach everyone to say 'I love you' in Hul'q'umi'num'

A Nanaimo-based non-profit has created a Valentine's Day card that it hopes will teach everyone to say "I love you"in Hul'q'umi'num', a language shared by nine Coast Salish Nations.

The Kw'umut Lelum Foundation, a First Nation-owned and led organization that aims toinvest in Indigenous youth and communities,is sharing the Valentine's Day cards.

Ten-year-old indigenous artist Benson Nelson did the card'sartwork, which consists of a heart that he says represents Mother Earth.

The campaign also translated other romantic phrases into Hul'q'umi'num'.

• Nu stl'i' ch [NUH-stlee-EETCH] I love you or I desire you depending on context.
• 'lyus mulintu skweyul[EE-yus muh-LIN-tuh SKWAY-ul] Happy Valentine's Day or happy couple's day.
• Nan ch' uw' nu stl 'i' siem [NAN ch oo NUH-stlee-ee see-em] You are important to me.
• Tl'i'stamu tsun[TL-ee STAM-uh tsun] Ihold you dearly

Frankie Shaw with the Kw'umut Lelum Foundation says he hopes the project can make language revitalization a cross-cultural experience.

"Teaching our youth, our own people, some of these phrases in our language not everybody knows them, especially people who live off reserveand sharingit with the greater community, I think is a very wonderful thing we're doing," he told the CBC's Jean Paetkau.

Learn to say 'I love you' in Hul'q'umi'num'

3 years ago

Duration 0:35

Frankie Shaw of the Kwumut Lelum Foundation is teaching people how to say some phrases of love in the Hul'q'umi'num' language of the Salish people.

Foundation executive director Sharon Hobenshieldsays using the local language is a key part of truth and reconciliation, and it's important to acknowledge that the nineNations "have thelanguage and they're working hard to revitalize it."

"Having people speak to it, especially around this time of the year, in such an affectionate, loving way is, I think, a really important part of the campaign, bringing all the communities together," she said.

The cards are for sale at several stores on Vancouver Island. An e-card isavailable for those who make a donation at the Kw'umut Lelum Foundationwebsite.

"It's just an honour to be a part of this, working with youth to revitalize the culture and the language," Shaw said.