Lushootseed is classified as critically endangered by UNESCO, with no known first language speakers. There are about 472 known second-language speakers of Lushootseed and it’s often used as a ceremonial language.

Read the poem Cold Wind Whining, written by tsisqʷux̌ʷał Jill K. La Pointe, enrolled member of the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe of NW Washington State. March 1982. Written in Lushootseed, the language of the first people of the Puget Coast Salish region, and English. Shared with thanks to Seattle UNESCO City of Literature.

 

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ʔuc̓iw̓c̓iw̓ tiʔił suxʷil
ʔəsx̌ʷil̓ tsi siʔab ləgʷəbsładəyʔ
hagʷəxʷ tsiʔəʔ ʔuʔibəš
gʷəl ʔugʷilič̓əbəxʷ tiʔəʔ qa sčusad
tuləqtəb ʔə tsi ləgʷəbsładəyʔ tə suxʷil
tuwiliq̓ʷ, gʷat əw̓ə čəxʷ
stab kʷi adsx̌aƛ̓

tutədᶻucid ti suxʷil, pə(d)t̓əs čəd,
čəda bək̓ʷ čad.
č̓itcut. gʷədiləxʷ ʔal tə stuləkʷ
čəda gʷəyəcəbtubicid
ʔuʔəƛ̓txʷ čəd tə baqʷuʔ
čəda ʔuʔəƛ̓txʷ tə sqʷšab.
ʔuʔəƛ̓txʷ čəd tə qəlb, ʔi ti t̓əs, ʔi ti ʔatəbəd

ʔuʔitut ti swatixʷtəd gʷədabacbic
ługʷiličəb tiʔəʔ łukʷał ʔal kʷi ƛ̓əllaʔ
čəda łułgʷəlbicid.
xʷiʔ lədsx̌aƛ̓ kʷi gʷədsday̓ay̓
ʔitut tsi siʔab ləgʷəbsładəyʔ
čəda łuk̓ʷədad ts(i) adsʔəli
łuʔuxʷ čəł dxʷʔal tə sčusad

 

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English translation by the author:

The cold wind is whining —
an honorable young woman is lost.
for a long time she has been walking
and now many stars are shining
she heard the wind
who are you, she asked
what do you want?

and the wind answered, I am winter
and I am everywhere.
come close, sit by the river
and I will tell you.
I bring snow
and I bring fog —
I bring rain, and cold, and death.

the world beneath me sleeps —
after a while the sun will shine
and I will have to leave
I don’t want to be alone.
go to sleep young woman
and I will take your spirit
we will go to the stars.