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Phrases are essential. As is language. Which is why an initiative, began by CHEK Information staffer Tchadas Leo and embraced by the TV station is, in his phrases, “a small step on the street to reconciliation.”
Tchadas, who additionally hosts Our Native Land, the CHEK podcast and TV present, covers many indigenous tales on the island and in British Columbia. He got here up with the thought of utilizing correct, language-based names and titles on tales.
There are myriad languages spoken on the Island, however usually these identifiers – identify keys or lower-thirds as we name them – are anglicized variations.
Tchadas thought it might be a good suggestion to vary that.
“I had been overlaying a gathering of many Indigenous teams on the Island and I had lots of the attendees write down particular spellings and symbols for me. Some have been symbols, some uncommon spellings,” he stated.
It occurred to him it might be extra correct, and respectful, to place collectively a database on the station that every one reporters and editors may entry.
He researched conventional names for Indigenous communities, college names and such, and took them to the station.
Two manufacturing staffers, Doug Birtwistle and graphics producer Scott Ashton, took the unique names and constructed them into the station’s database.
Now, any editorial staffers can lower and paste from the database and ensure the names onscreen are correct.
Scott says it was a case of discovering a font that contained all of the characters we have been searching for and constructing a template that might be used for names and titles onscreen.
Right here’s some examples of the language that may now seem clearly
1) Lekwungen: həlitxʷ tθə lək̓ʷəŋiʔnəŋ which suggests “Bringing lək̓ʷəŋiʔnəŋ Language Again to Life,” in accordance with the Songhees Nation website.
2) Tchadas simply used the spelling of Malahat on a locator key which appears like this, MÁLEXEŁ, which might be seen on the prime of this story.
3) A 3rd pattern that may be used is sophisticated phrases resembling this one: čɛgətštəm tums čičʊy ʔitəs toχʷʊxʷəs nəms kʷ haʔyɛʔəm kʷ t̓ᶿɩjɛqop.
Within the Xwemalhkwu (Homalco) First Nation language it interprets to, “We are going to assist our kids learn to make the cedar hats.”
The CHEK staffers concerned stated doing all this was no huge deal. But it surely was a giant deal nonetheless.
We’re seeing, more and more on Vancouver Island, conventional First Nations names on avenue indicators, on libraries and in all communities.
So it’s a superb factor we’re seeing it on our TV screens too. As Tchadas says, it’s a visual and tangible step for reconciliation. Our viewers, Indigenous and non-indigenous, will respect the accuracy.
Ian Haysom is consulting editor for CHEK Media
The Esquimalt library is pictured.
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