The Séliš-Ql̓ispé Culture Committee (SQCC) has an enormous mission: preserving, protecting, and perpetuating the culture, language, and history of the Séliš and Ql̓ispé people.
Department Director: Ɫaʔkat-Sadie Peone-Stops
Phone: (406) 745-4572
Hours: Mon-Thurs 7:00am – 5:30pm
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Our Work
Qe es nte qeqs čšt̓im, qeqs k̓͏ʷɫqeyx͏ʷm, n̓e taqs hoy, taqs oóst
ɫu sqlix͏ʷɫ nk̓͏ʷul̓mis, ɫu nuwewlštis, ɫu qe x̣͏ʷlč̓musšn.
We seek to guard and protect the culture and language of our ancestors so that it will not end or be lost.
The SQCC has an enormous mission and responsibility: preserving, protecting, and perpetuating the culture, language, and history of the Séliš and Ql̓ispé people.
The Culture Committee is an important staple for the survival and renewal of our people. We hope this site is useful and helps strengthen the bond to our language, our traditions and our past.
We are comprised of a staff and a group of culturally knowledgeable elders constituted as the Séliš-Ql̓ispé Elders Cultural Advisory Council. They give guidance and direction to all that we do.
The Séliš-Ql̓ispé Culture Committee was first created in 1974-75 in response to the urgent concern of many traditional elders that we need to take strong action to ensure that our culture would be carried on by younger generations, and by the generations yet to come. Since that time, we have worked hard in many areas to ensure both our language and way of life will always survive and remain.
Our work is based at the traditional longhouse, the Usšnéłxʷ, in Snyel̓mn (St. Ignatius). This is where many traditional tribal cultural ceremonies and events are held, including the SQCC’s monthly meetings and regular consultations with the Séliš-Ql̓ispé Elders Cultural Advisory Council; wakes and funerals; Jump dances; the Woodcock-Incashola Memorial; Bitterroot Feast; Salish language classes, Culture nights and the annual Language & Culture Camp as well as others.
Séliš-Ql̓ispé Fonts
Historical Collections
Everything that the SQCC does is based in the teachings of our elders, who in turn received the cultural and spiritual knowledge and understanding from the ancestors before them. That great cultural and historical knowledge is held in our recordings of the elders, and in other collections that we are tasked with preserving and protecting for the generations to come. The archives are not open to the public, but every day the Culture Committee is doing its best to carry out the wishes of the elders regarding perpetuation by preserving and protecting these materials for present and future generations, and bringing the elders’ stories and information into our books, websites and apps, PDFs and other publications, signs and posters, and exhibits.
Séliš Language Program
Our language stands at the heart of who we are as Séliš and Ql̓ispé people. It carries the wisdom, power, and beauty of culture and traditional way of life. And today, our language is critically endangered, with fewer than fifteen fluent Séliš and Ql̓ispé speakers still living. We are in a race against time to ensure that our language survives. The SQCC is charged with coordinating Séliš-Ql̓ispé language efforts on the Flathead Reservation. We work with and support teachers and learners throughout all schools and communities. We have developed many materials to help learners at all levels, including books, websites, apps, posters, pamphlets, CDs, and boxed card sets. The SQCC has also developed a rigorous, three-tiered language curriculum, and an intensive Salish immersion program with 10-20 full-time language apprentices. Those who complete the program acquire a level of fluency that enables them to learn the higher levels of the language from our elders.
History & Ethnogeography Projects
From the very beginning of the Séliš-Ql̓ispé Culture Committee in 1975, the elders have told us about our place-names and their great importance. The Séliš-Ql̓ispé Ethnogeography Project has become one of the most far-reaching Indigenous place-name projects in the world. So far, we have documented over 1500 place-names across our territories. Beneath every single one of those place-names lies decades of work with tribal elders, archival research, field work, and meetings to review and correct our information. The SQCC is dedicated not only to documenting these powerful words, but also to returning them to the land and to our daily lives. We are pursuing that goal through signs, posters, books, and web-based materials.
Cultural Events & Activities
The SQCC regularly is called on to conduct opening prayers, speak, or deliver presentations at annual events such as River Honoring, Lake Honoring, Tribal Council, meetings between CSKT and other agencies, PIR day, People’s Center Native American week, and Tribal Ed awards for cultural education.
Longhouse
Our work is based at the traditional longhouse, the Usšnéłxʷ, in Snyel̓mn (St. Ignatius). This is where many traditional tribal cultural events are held, including the SQCC’s monthly meetings and regular consultations with the Séliš-Ql̓ispé Elders Cultural Advisory Council; wakes and funerals; the New Year’s jump dance; the Woodcock-Incashola Dinner; the Bitterroot Feast; and the annual Language & Culture Camp.
Events & Updates
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I find a request form?
You can submit the form below or send an email to nalani.linsebigler@cskt.org to request a copy. You may also call 406-745-4572 with any questions.
How can I order a publication?
You may email your order to nalani.linsebigler@cskt.org or call 406-745-4572 to place an order. We do not accept credit cards at this time.
Is there someone available to provide a presentation or speak at our event?
Yes, please send an email to Sadie.peone@cskt.org or call 406-745-4572 ext. 5303 to make arrangements.
