Division News Article

École WES celebrates National Indigenous Peoples Day

June 26th, 2018

In honor of National Indigenous Peoples Day, these Grade 3-6 École Westlock Elementary School students performed a song at the June 21 school assembly.

The Lil’wat Song which is derived from Lillooet, B.C., was sung by the students in traditional Ucwalmicws language. The song is about the First Nations people who would often hunt salmon each spring just as they flowed over the waterfall in a river in the Lillooet community. They would catch the salmon to salt and cure for their families.

Some of the words from the song include:

  • Zu-mac means spring salmon
  • Za-wum means the catching of the fish
  • Wi-kum means preparing the fish
  • Ee-chlin means eating

Thank you to our First Nations, Métis and Inuit Liaison Audrey Degner for inviting students to participate in this unique learning opportunity.