Savouring traditional foods with language on the tip of our tongues
Story and photos courtesy of TKL (Traditional Knowledge and Language Sector)
ǂawiyaǂ ¢ naqam¢u, swaq̓mu, ʔini¢ka, kyanuqǂumna
These are just a few of the Ktunaxa words shared by some Ktunaxa ʔaqⱡsmaknik to describe their favourite foods at a Traditional Foods Feast held on March 21, 2026. Each word carries more than a name – it holds relationships to the land, harvesting practices, and teachings passed through generations.
The timing of the event aligned with the timing of the Grizzly Bear Ceremony. This ceremony honours the kǂawǂa (Grizzly Bear) and asks for good and plentiful berries and roots from the coming growing season.
The Ktunaxa language offers a powerful gateway into teachings and knowledge rooted in the lands and spirit of ʔamakʔis Ktunaxa. Gatherings like this feast demonstrate how language resurgence happens in practice—not only in classrooms, but on the land, around the fire, and at the table.
Throughout the gathering, naming each food in Ktunaxa became an act of remembering and reclaiming, reconnecting words with the lands and practices they come from.
Everyone shared in the language, laughter, and food.
Traditional foods were harvested from Ktunaxa territory and prepared in culturally grounded ways by community members.
Foods included:
- ǂawiyaǂ(huckleberries),
- naqam¢u (bitterroot),
- kǂawǂa (bear),
- ni¢napku (moose),
- tak̓a¢ (squirrel),
- kaxuǂuʔk (goose),
- ʔini¢ka (gopher),
- kyanuqǂumna (rabbit),
- swaq̓mu (salmon)
- qustit̕ (trout), and
- kyanukxu (mountain goat).
The abundance of dishes reflected not only the generosity of the land, but the knowledge and care carried by those who prepared it.
For many, the experience was deeply personal.
One Elder shared that the foods reminded her of when she was a child—it brought back good memories of her grandparents.
For others, the dishes brought back fond memories like the enjoyment of waȼkna, and times of making it with the “old timers.”
These moments of remembrance reflect how food and language together carry memory, linking generations through shared experience.
All parts of the animal were honoured and prepared with respect, in some cases inviting surprise from participants as the ʔa·kwum (stomach tripe) and other organs were savored with delight.
One attendee reflected, “I remember eating the marrow raw…”
“If you have problems with your heart, eat the heart. If you have problems with your liver, eat the liver…”
These teachings, often carried and shared in Ktunaxa language, reflect a holistic understanding of health—where food, body, and land are interconnected.
Moments like these highlight how language and traditional knowledge carry insights that are relevant today—offering guidance for physical well-being and for how to live in good relationship with the land and each other.
Testament to the success of the evening, many participants asked if it was going to be a yearly event!
This Traditional Food event is an example of the ongoing work of the Traditional Knowledge and Language Sector of the Ktunaxa Nation Council.
“Language revitalization is about preserving words, yes, and also about restoring relationships,” said Vickie Thomas, Director of TKL.
“This event helps us revive our relationships to the land, to food, and to our Ktunaxa community.”
Isolate language = unique in the world
Ktunaxa is one of just three Indigenous language isolates in all of Canada.
While there are over 70 distinct Indigenous languages spoken in Canada (within 12 Indigenous language families), the three language isolates (Ktunaxa, Haida and Inuit Sign Language) are unrelated to any other language families, making them particularly unique.
