Tset H¿kwstexw Te Sqw¿lteltset,we Hold Our Language High Salishan Languages, Bilingual edition

St¿:l? elders say that St¿:l? identity and worldview are embedded in their near-extinct Halq?em¿ylem language, which identifies the St¿:l? as a distinct Aboriginal people in Canada. To illuminate the elders? assertion, the author uses an heuristic approach to examine a) the historical demise and recent rise of the Halq'em¿ylem language using st?¿xem (worthless people) and smel¿:lh (worthy people) as a metaphorical theme reflected in St¿:l? lived experience, b) how the term smest¿yexw expresses a St¿:l? worldview of spiritual relationship with the land based on harmony and respect, and c) how Halq?em¿ylem binds the people and their Riverworldview into an indistinguishable whole. These aspects of St¿:l? history and language provide a context for the stories of what language renewal means to Halq?em¿ylem revivalists associated with over thirty years of language renewal efforts.