By Monica Brown, Tulalip Tribes Communications Department
The Klallam native language was nearly lost until it was preserved in a Dictionary by linguist Timothy Montler of the University of North Texas. In 1978 Montler began studying and documenting the native language when he was a student until 1991 when he began to record the language on his own.
Montler worked with elders in order to document and record the ancient language and created an alphabet that conveyed the unique sounds and pronunciations used. Elder Adeline Smith was the major contributor with a 12,000 words and sentences translated.
Basics of the Klallam language have been used in booklets guides and lessons which are used in schools of all age levels in the area and will now have the use of a dictionary to extend their knowledge of the native language. The families of Port Gamble S’Klallam and Tribal Government Department each received a copy.
Research was funded by the National Science Foundation’s Documenting Endangered Languages Grant and the National Endowment for Humanities. The Dictionary was published by the University of Washington Press and is available for purchase for $85.
Montler will be book signing in Port Angeles during the month of January although no set date has been scheduled, please view Timothy Montler’s page for other project work and check out the website for the S’Klallam language