Southern Lushootseed
AltnameTwulshootseed, Whulshootseed
Nativenamexʷəlšucid (Muckleshoot and Snoqualmie dialects)
txʷəlšucid (elsewhere)
StatesUnited States
RegionWashington
Extinct4 January 2016, with the death of Ellen Williams
Refe25
Familycolorsalishan
Fam 1Salishan
Fam 2Coast Salish
Fam 3Lushootseed
Isoexceptiondialect
Iso 3slh
Glottosout2965
GlottorefnameSouthern Lushootseed
NoticeIPA
EthnicityMuckleshoot, Puyallup, Suquamish, Duwamish, Nisqually, Squaxin Island
Revivedexist

Southern Lushootseed, also called Twulshootseed (none: txʷəlšucid) or Whulshootseed (none: xʷəlšucid) in the Muckleshoot and Snoqualmie dialects,[1][2] is the southern dialect of Lushootseed, a Coast Salish language in western Washington State.[3] It was historically spoken by the Muckleshoot, Puyallup, Suquamish, Duwamish, Nisqually, and Squaxin Island tribes. The last fluent speaker was Ellen Williams (1923–2016) and her death rendered the language extinct.[4][5][6]

Language classes

Whulshootseed is taught at the Muckleshoot Language Program of the Muckleshoot Tribal College in Auburn, Washington, at a local school, and by the Puyallup Tribal Language Program.[7][8][9] A 1999 video, Muckleshoot: a People and Their Language profiles the Muckleshoot Whulshootseed Language Preservation Project.[10]

Community classes for Southern Lushootseed are offered through Tidelands gallery in Seattle.[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ "About Twulshootseed". Puyallup Tribal Language. Retrieved 2025-05-02.
  2. ^ Zahir, Zalmai (2009). "Foreword". A Lushootseed Analysis of a 1877 Dictionary by George Gibbs
  3. ^ Holly Taylor (2010-05-06). "Preserving the Lushootseed language for the next generation". Crosscut.com, News of the Great Nearby. Retrieved 2021-02-18.
  4. ^ Erik Lacitis (2005-02-08). "Last few Whulshootseed speakers spread the word". Seattle Times Newspaper. Retrieved 2021-02-18.
  5. ^ Lois Sweet Dorman (2005-06-21). "Lost in translation: a connection to the sacred". Seattle Times. Retrieved 2012-09-15.
  6. ^ Johanse, Bruce E (2015). "Chapter 10, Muckleshoot language revival". Up from the Ashes: Nation Building at Muckleshoot. First ed. Seattle, WA: Seattle Publishing. pp. 244–251. ISBN 9780985776411.
  7. ^ "Muckleshoot Language Program". Muckleshoot Tribal College. Retrieved 2012-09-15.
  8. ^ Mary Ann Zehr (2010-07-14). "NCLB Seen Impeding Indigenous-Language Preservation". Education Week. Retrieved 2012-09-15.
  9. ^ "Puyallup Tribal Language Program". Puyallup Tribe of Indians. Retrieved 2021-02-18.
  10. ^ Scott Ross (Director) (1999). Muckleshoot: a People and Their Language. Archived from the original on 2013-01-04. Retrieved 2012-12-03.
  11. ^ "Southern Lushootseed for Beginnings". Tidelands. Retrieved 31 January 2026.