If the Salish Native American language is to endure, it is up to the few remaining speakers and today’s youth together to save it.

Nothing new here. There are dying languages all over the world. But here in the Idaho/eastern Washington/western Montana area, with a fairly homogeneous population base, it is exciting to see the Native American heritage honored and strengthened.

This video, courtesy of Spokane, Washington’s Spokesman Review, describes the work and lets you hear some of the language:

More information on preserving Salish can be found at

the Salish Language Revitalization Institute’s website.