By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News
After 20 years of devoted service, we are saying farewell to Dave Sienko, a pillar of language revitalization efforts. Known reservation-wide as Lushootseed’s Media Developer and behind the scenes tech guru, Dave’s legacy stretches far beyond his job title. He helped usher Tulalip Lushootseed into the digital age, ensuring the ancestral language of the Coast Salish people could thrive across screens, speakers, and generations.
From the early 2000s, when cassette tapes and black and white picture books were still standard, Dave envisioned a future where technology could be an ally to language preservation. Then he built it. Take a quick visit to TulalipLushootseed.com and you’ll find songs, stories, games, family activities, and an entire assortment of language learning tools at your disposal.
“Dave has done so much for us,” said language warrior Michelle Myles. “On our website there is 20 years’ worth of content that he’s basically built from the ground up. That website was his first work baby. I say that lovingly because my daughter Jacynta was born shortly before Dave started with us. She’s 20-years-old now. She grew up learning Lushootseed, in part, by using that site and all the fun additions Dave made to it over the years.”
Among his most groundbreaking achievements, Dave co-developed the source code for the Lushootseed Unicode keyboard. That innovation gave Tulalip language teachers and learners the ability to write Lushootseed accurately and consistently on modern devices, opening the door to emails, websites, and digital lesson plans in the ancestral tongue.
“What am I most proud of? That’s a big question, but I’d say pushing for and never giving up on the idea of having Lushootseed keyboard,” shared Dave. “The Lushootseed keyboard enabled the language to be fully on the internet, where it can be used by anyone, anywhere in the world.
“I love seeing the text being used,” he continued. “Whether its via social media posts, websites, books and magazines, or, my personal favorite, on display at Hibulb Cultural Center, I’m always filled with pride whenever I see the Lushootseed text being used. I believe the language will proliferate the Tulalip Reservation and beyond as more and more people desire to learn and speak it. Knowing I played a role in that is, well, it’s beyond words. I’m just so thankful and eternally grateful for my time spent with Lushootseed and in this community.”
Dave’s forward-thinking approach culminated in several major digital platforms, including the extensive Tulalip Lushootseed website home to countless learning tools and teacher resources. Most recently, he played a pivotal role in the creation and launch of the Tulalip Lushootseed App – a sleek, intuitive mobile app now available for most major platforms, including iPhone and Android devices. For learners young and old, the app puts pronunciation, vocabulary, and language games right in their pocket.
“Dave is the reason our language lives online,” said a teary-eyed Natosha Gobin, Lushootseed Manager. “He truly does have a love for the language. He’s always prioritized making Lushootseed compatible with evolving technologies, which was his way of treating our culture with the highest respect.
“Also, Dave has always tried to find the newest way to connect with our community. And he did it in a way that ensured there were no barriers for language learning. From cassette tapes and floppy disks to CDs and USB drives, and now QR codes that take you directly to our website and app, Dave made sure that regardless of what kind of technology you have available at home, we have learning resources for you.”
But Dave was more than a tech developer, he was the department’s go-to fixer. When the Wi-Fi went down or a corrupted file threatened to derail a presentation, Dave was there. His calm demeanor and quiet determination became a backbone of day-to-day operations and special projects alike.
There was no project more special than the annual two-week-long, Lushootseed Camp every summer. Where Dave remained a fixture and his technology station a children’s favorite, year after year. From bulky desktop computers to compact Nintendo DS to touch screen tablets, Dave transformed whatever the technology of the time was into child friendly learning devices. His ability to ensure the kids could navigate these tools with ease, while capturing their imagination though storytelling videos and interactive language games will not be forgotten.
During the closing ceremony of this summer’s Lushootseed Camp, Dave was honored by his fellow language warriors. First, he was wrapped in an 8th Generation wool blanket appropriately named ‘See You Again’, then he was adorned with a handmade cedar headband.
“I’ve been with Lushootseed going on 13 years now. Dave has been there every step of the way,” shared language warrior Nikki St. Onge following the closing ceremony. “It’s been cool watching him input the language into his own life, like he’ll greet us every morning in Lushootseed and says ‘thank you’ in Lushootseed instead of English. Anytime I ever needed a story, video, or children’s book to implement into my lesson plans, he’d always find a way to get them to me. I’m definitely going to miss you, Dave, and I hope you come back to visit as often as you can.”
As the 65-year-old Dave Sienko closes this chapter and steps into well-earned rest and retirement, the digital infrastructure he helped create will continue to empower the Tulalip tribal members of today and tomorrow to learn, speak, and celebrate their language.
“We know that Dave’s work here, with us, is finished, but he’s not done with the work,” asserted Natosha. “We want him to come and join us at future Language Camps, even if its just to bring his grandkids as participants. Wherever his heart feels drawn to continuing the work, he’ll always be welcomed here.”
From all of us within the Tulalip community, day̓ čəd ɬušudubicid (Be seeing you again).