Dancing Up a Culture

In the premiere episode of the Kwakwaka’wakw episodes, host Suzette Amaya takes us to Alert Bay, B.C., to introduce us to language teacher and cultural knowledge keeper Pewi Alfred. Pewi shares her language journey and teaches Suzette what some of their dances mean. 

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Transcript

Multiple Speakers [00:00:00] [cheerful electronic music] Sim gigyat, Sigidim Haanak’, K’ubawilxsihlxw. Oki, wishing you good life. Kuei! Kuei! Yo! Wik’sas. Dánet'e, negha dágǫ́ht’e.

Announcer [00:00:14] This is Words and Culture, a series on Indigenous languages funded by SiriusXM through the Community Radio Fund of Canada and distributed by Native Voice One, The Native American Radio Network. [music fades out]

Suzette Amaya [00:00:31] Yo Wikas nugwa'a̱m Suzette Amaya gayutła̱n lax̱ GwaSala-Nakwaxda’xw Kwakwaka’wakw gayutła̱n lax̱ Nisgaa’ Coast Salish and Cree.

Hello, how are you? I am Suzette Amaya and I am from the GwaSala-Nakwaxda’xw Nation of the Kwakwaka’wakw people. My Mother was GwaSala and Coast Salish from Stz'uminus and Father was Nisga’a’ from Laxgalts'ap and Cree from Lac La Biche, Alberta. I raise my hands to the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations and acknowledge that I am speaking from their ancestral, unceded territories, now commonly known as Vancouver, BC.

I am the founder of SAMAYA Entertainment, a radio producer and host, and reality TV personality, and motivational speaker who has toured nationally. With 29 years in the music and entertainment industry, I am dedicated to amplifying our voices, preserving our living history for future generations, and through music, media, storytelling, and community engagement, I strive to celebrate the strength, resilience, and cultural richness of Indigenous peoples while creating spaces for authentic representation, connection, healing, and growth.

I believe our stories, teachings, and lived experiences are vital expressions of who we are and must continue to be shared, honoured, and carried forward. I'm so excited about this journey with you and I’m going to learn some Kwakʼwala. As an urban Indigenous Kwakwaka’wakw person, I’m a baby speaker in our language but I’m so excited to learn more about my identity, culture, protocols, and language.

I am a Walkus from GwaSala-Nakwaxda’xw Nation. My grandfather was George Walkus from GwaSala in Takush, colonially known as Smith Inlet. And my grandfather was from the Moon family from Dzawada̱ʼenux̱w in Kingcome Inlet. I am the daughter of the eldest daughter, Clara Ritchotte from the George and Eliza Walkus.

My grandparents had ten sons and three daughters. So my g̱ag̱a̱mp, my grandfather, George Walkus was the first elected Chief for 18 years when GwaSala and Nakwaxdaxw were relocated to Tsulquate in Port Hardy on the Kwakiutl territory.

I am your host for the Kwakwaka’wakw episodes of Words and Culture. So let me tell you about my homelands.

The Kwakwaka’wakw people reside throughout the northern end of Vancouver Island, from Comox to Alert Bay and Port Hardy, as well as surrounding islands and mainland territories including Takush, my ancestral homeland. Coastal villages with big houses, totem poles, and fishing boats lining the shore sit among lush cedar forests where deer, elk, bears, and cougars roam. Bald eagles soar overhead, and berries and traditional medicines flourish.

This breathtaking homeland is a place of emerald-green mountains, winding coastlines, countless islands and inlets, and sparkling waters, where the Kwakwaka’wakw people have lived in deep relationship with the land and sea since the beginning of time.

The Kwakwaka’wakw are made up of 18 Nations. For thousands of years, these Nations have been connected through family ties, trade, potlatches, ceremonies, and stewardship of their territories. The language spoken by the Kwakwaka’wakw is Kwakʼwala, with several dialects, including Bak̓wamkala, spoken by the Gwa’sala and ’Nak’waxda’xw peoples.

In future episodes, we will take a closer look at the various Nations, its territory, history, language, and the cultural teachings that continue to connect the Kwakwaka’wakw people today.

But now, I want to introduce you to my first guest. Pewi Alfred lives in Alert Bay. To get there from Vancouver, you first take a ferry from Vancouver Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo, then drive up the island on Highway 19 for about three and a half hours to Port McNeil, then take another ferry over to Cormorant Island which takes about 40 minutes. And then you’re there.

I traveled with our Words and Culture producer, Kim Wheeler. While the townsite of Alert Bay is fairly small and they do have street names, Pewi didn’t know the name of her street, so she just stood outside her house until we drove by. Her house sits up on road from the U’mista Cultural Society and looks out over the Alert bay.

I invited Pewi to introduce herself in our way.

Pewi Alfred [00:05:37] Nugwa'a̱m Kaminawadzi Pewi (continues introducing self in Kwakʼwala)

My name is Great Throwing Power Pewi Alfred. I come from here in Alert Bay, the land of the ʼNa̱mg̱is people. I also come from Turnour Island, which is the Tlowitsis people. I have one son, his name is A̱didi, which is a name of endearment. He got that name when he was born, and he comes – oh, his English name is Michael. He's 22 years old and he comes from Kingcome. My dad's name is Wayne Alfred and he comes from here, Alert Bay. My mom's from Turnour Island, which is over in the land of the Turnour Island people.

Suzette Amaya [00:07:01] I, you know, I've known you as someone who's so powerful and impactful because today I've seen you – and since we were teenagers, as someone who holds a lot of knowledge of who we are as a people. Can you share about your journey in learning your culture and your language?

Pewi Alfred [00:07:17] I think, really, my language journey began because I had to bring my granny to church, which is my mom's mom. And everything that was done in the church was all in Kwak’wala and then I was just learning how to sing hymns, so that’s kind of like – I was just kind of, like, following along and singing along with, you know, at church.

But also in 1981, I believe, they opened a school down at the T'lisalagi'lakw school. But that's when the writing system was just written. So they put a bunch of our people in the school, and in this course that was led by a guy named J. Powell who helped develop this writing system, and then teach our Elders or people that wanted to participate and to become Kwak’wala teachers.

So after that, the school opened and then we all went to the school but it was mandatory that you learned language. And so from there, my granny would, like – she would teach you, like, the alphabet so then she would go, you know, through each letter. And then you're learning colours and you're learning the weather. And then you're learning how to, like, communicate with – in Kwak’wala.

So she would make us stand up and act. It would be, like, she would go, “'Witłas le?” And then she would teach us, “(singsong) Latła̱n lax̱a Kwa'lilas! 'Witłas le? Latła̱n lax̱ Pentl’ach! 'Witłas…”

And it was really, you know, so – it almost had, like, kind of like a tune to it. So we're able to pick it up. And she’d do all these, like, different sounds with us so for instance, like, the barred-L is probably the hardest letter that you can make, right?

So it's like, “Klh. Klh.” So she would show us – like, she'd come up to our faces and go, “Ł!” But then she combined them with vowels. So then we're, like, straight into phonology. So then she'd go, “(clapping with each sound) Łe. Ła. Ło.”

And she would walk back and forth in front of us. “Łe. Ła. Ło.”

And so then we’re just right into it, you know? And so she made it fun because she's such a powerful person that it was, like, you wanted to learn.

She had us acting out quite a bit and then we learned numbers. We had practiced the, you know, the month, the day, the week. And it was, like, a really consistent type, like, teaching. So then it was starting to be embedded in us.

If you hear my granny speak, her voice is loud. People kind of get a little bit nervous, but it was like, you just learned from her. And a lot of people really remember.

So, because it was kind of hot a lot growing up, like, I was disobedient. How she punished me was I would go into her class with her. She would just sit there and she would make me, like, do all the pointing for her.

You know when you're in the moment, you don't even know that's what's actually happening? Because you're just hearing it and my granny would go, “(speaks Kwakʼwala)”

And I’d be like – but she's like, “Well what else do you think i'm talking about?!” You know. (both laugh)

So I’d go in there and I'm like, “Like, I don't know if this is what she's asking me.”

She pretty much taught English, how to read, write. And then in Kwakʼwala too. But anyway, she was my inspiration growing up and my comfort and my love.

Suzette Amaya [00:11:01] (narrating) Pewi was 15 when she left Alert Bay for the first time. She went to Campbell River, which by comparison was a huge city with a population of over 21,000 people.

Pewi Alfred [00:11:15] When I left Alert Bay I was made fun of. You know, you're made fun of because you have a thick accent or – yeah, I’m probably gonna get emotional. You get made fun of for being Bak̕wa̱m. You get made fun of because you sound Bak̕wa̱m. (voice breaking) Heck, sorry you guys.

Suzette Amaya [00:11:33] (narrating) The term Bak̕wa̱m refers to an Indigenous person, a person of our people. Like a Kwakwaka’wakw person.

Pewi Alfred [00:11:42] So what I did was I switched it. So now I'm gonna teach you guys how to be Bak̕wa̱m.

So, you know, I always go, “Hux?” (laughs)

Suzette Amaya [00:11:52] Hux. (laughs)

Pewi Alfred [00:11:55] You know, I always go, “Hux?” Or, “Hmm?” You know, so what did was I started to just be myself. This is how I knew I had an accent, though, because I didn't know.

My friend said, “What are you gonna do today?”

I'm like, “Oh, I'm gonna clean the clothes in my closet.” (both laugh) So my accent – because it's like really – because it’s all – I know – (laughing)

But our, “Clean,” went to, “Tłin,” and that's how I was – knowing I have an accent, and she'd be like, “What did you’d just say?”

Suzette Amaya [00:12:27] (overlapping) You’re bilingual.

Pewi Alfred [00:11:29] Yeah! So I'm like, “I didn't know,” or I'll be like, “Where are you going to go? I'm aaallll the way down to Subway.” And so my accent from Kwakʼwala goes into English.

“I'm gonna go aaallll the way down to the store. I gathered aaallll the socks today.” So I just learned to be myself. And just teach them, you know, this is who I am. And I ended up making them right, Bak̕wa̱m-izder. (both laugh) I made them be like me. And that's how I found my comfort out of Alert Bay.

Another situation was I was standing there and it was really cold. I'm like, “How-ee!” I said – but I'm with all these people that don't, you know, mamała. And they're like - “I mean, ‘brr!’” (both laugh)

Suzette Amaya [00:13:26] You’re teaching them, like, Kwakʼwala. They don't even realize they're learning.

Pewi Alfred [00:13:30] Oh, that’s funny. Yeah. Or I’d go, “Ła̱'a̱n!” (laughs)

Suzette Amaya [00:13:33] “Kla-an!” (laughs)

Pewi Alfred [00:13:35] Ła̱'a̱n after everything. So if I make a mistake, “Ła̱'a̱n!”

Suzette Amaya [00:13:39] And what does, “Kla-an,” mean again?

Pewi Alfred [00:13:42] It's like, “Honestly,” like–

Suzette Amaya [00:13:43] Like – oh, yeah, I was – always thought it was like, “As if.” (laughs) “Kla-an!”

Pewi Alfred [00:13:49] As if, ła̱'a̱n. Or maybe – or even, “Yax!”

Suzette Amaya [00:13:54] Yax. Oh yeah, we say yax a lots too.

Pewi Alfred [00:13:56] “Yaaaxxx.” (laughs)

Suzette Amaya [00:13:57] “Yaaaxxx.” (harsher, lower) Yax. (laughs)

Pewi Alfred [00:13:59] When you say it lower (speaks Kwakʼwala) Because like – it’s like, “(lower) No way.”

Suzette Amaya [00:14:04] Yax! (lower) Yax!

Pewi Alfred [00:14:05] (lower) Yaaaxxx.

Suzette Amaya [00:14:06] Yeah, there’s so many different, like, tones to it depending on – (higher) Yax! You know. (laughs)

Pewi Alfred [00:14:12] That's what we do too, like you can go, “(lower) Hmm.” That's almost like a sarcastic, “Hmm.”

Suzette Amaya [00:14:17] Mmhm.

Pewi Alfred [00:14:18] Or a, “(rising) Hmhm!” (Suzette laughs) Like when you’re joking. “Hmhm.” (both laugh)

Suzette Amaya [00:14:22] (narrating) Pewi has taught a lot of people how to be Bak̕wa̱m and how to speak Kwakʼwala.

Pewi Alfred [00:14:29] So anyway, I was in Campbell River, I learned the International Phonetic Alphabet and I took a class with my granny, Daisy Sewid-Smith.

I learned how to write with the International Phonetic Alphabet. I learned the U’mista orthography for my granny. In grade eight, I went to NIS, North Island Secondary School. When I got there we got, “Bam! You're thrown into a French class.” And I have never been exposed to French, ever, but it was mandatory in grade eight.

My teacher that was there, her name was Miss MacClear. I remember her, very you, you know. I really remember her because she allowed me to take Kwakʼwala.

So the crazy part is, when me and my cousin Tara would wander around here in Alert Bay, we're out just exposing myself. We're really rowdy and we'd go and break-in these abandoned houses. So there's this house that – it's just, I could probably show you where it is. A house that burnt down.

So nosy-old-ass go break in there and we're digging through all the stuff that's left over in this burnt house. I even remember the scent. But why I'm telling you that is because we find this box and it had a bunch of books in there. And so anyway, I'm like, “Cool!” Like, I don't even know what it is. So I made my own code breaker for it–

Suzette Amaya [00:15:54] It was in Kwakʼwala?

Pewi Alfred [00:15:55] Yeah.

Suzette Amaya [00:15:56] The book?

Pewi Alfred [00:15:57] So that was – another thing was, in 1888, a man named Alfred J. Hall wrote this book and it was like a series of books. And so he lived amongst our people and he was a reverent for the Anglican church. And so he was studying – I don't know if he was anthropologist or what he was. But he was a preacher who wrote t̕sa̱mk̓ala, which is our church songs. So he translated the songs with the Elders here, and they would have their church services in Kwakʼwala.

So he really worked hard on these series books and their prayers and Bible – everything was done in Kwakʼwala.

Suzette Amaya [00:16:44] When you're talking about your younger self, about Kwakʼwala hymns, like, that would be me. I learned just to sing it. Like all the Kwakʼwala songs on the hymn from our church growing up in Port Hardy. But it must've been totally amazing to make that connection from the books that you saw in that burnt house.

Pewi Alfred [00:17:07] Yep.

Suzette Amaya [00:17:08] To the history of today, how these hymnals came to be.

Pewi Alfred [00:17:11] Yeah, and we're using the same Kwakʼwala. It's really cool, because now I know how to read it. Because I've made this thorough code breaker where I'm able to read now.

Suzette Amaya [00:17:24] (narrating) The Residential Schools, the Potlatch Ban, and colonial policies forced my grandparents, my mom and my uncles, and many folks gradually stopped speaking our language and practicing our ceremonies. Creating generations of loss, shame, trauma, and disconnection from who we are as Kwakwaka’wakw people.

Yet, despite those attempts to erase us, Potlatches continued underground, Elders continued to speak our language, Kwakʼwala has survived. And now is being taught in Schools, Universities, and from Elders to younger people. And for me, one of the first places I learned Kwakʼwala was in church, through hymns translated into our ancestral language by our people. Singing those songs awakened something within me, a deep connection to my ancestors, my identity as a Bak̕wa̱m woman, and a desire to learn more about our language and culture.

Today, I see learning Kwakʼwala , whether through ceremony, community, or church hymns  as part of reclaiming what was taken and ensuring that our language and spirit continue to live on for future generations. Every song, every phrase, every conversation in Kwakʼwala is an act of reclamation and healing. I may not be fluent today, but I see myself as part of a generation helping to carry our language forward so that future generations will hear, speak, and live it with pride.

All of Pewi’s learning of Kwakʼwala made her realize she wanted others to learn it as well. While her peers were going to work in banks or learning to become interior designers, she was learning how to be a teacher of the language. She worked in the community with women like Marion Warner and Sandy Willie who taught through real world examples, like dancing, singing, and conversation. But her granny Pauline Alfred continued to be her biggest teacher.

Pewi Alfred [00:19:33] My granny was teaching night time classes with a preacher named Stan Anonby. And Stan was teaching using this method where you're actually, like, using these lexicon strips. So they're just like – almost like comic strips. Like, say it was just a picture of someone washing their hands or someone sitting there or whatever, but it was kind of like the visuals to the language he was speaking.

Like, say if I was gonna teach you this, so it’d be like, “Cup. K̕wa'sta.”

Suzette Amaya [00:20:04] (whispers) “K̕wa'sta.”

Pewi Alfred [00:20:05] “K̕wa'sta. K’wah-s’tah. Cup.”

Suzette Amaya [00:20:10] “K’wah-s’teh.”

Pewi Alfred [00:20:11] “K’wah-s’tah.”

Suzette Amaya [00:20:12] “K’wah-s’tah.”

Pewi Alfred [00:20:13] Yep. It was so repetitive that you just listen to it. But then it gets to sentences.

“Dax'i da x̱wa k̕wa'sta.”

“Dah-hee dah h’wah k’wah-s’tah.”

Suzette Amaya [00:20:26] “Dah-hee.”

Pewi Alfred [00:20:27] “Dah h’wah.”

Suzette Amaya [00:20:28] “Dah quah.”

Pewi Alfred [00:20:29] “K’wah-s’tah.”

Suzette Amaya [00:20:30] “K’wah-s’tah.”

Pewi Alfred [00:20:31] “Dax'i da x̱wa k̕wa'sta.”

Together [00:20:34] “Dax'i da x̱wa k̕wa'sta.”

Pewi Alfred [00:20:37] Then he approached me and said, “I want you to come and move to North Dakota with me and come to the university so you can learn how to teach language. And you can learn how to read and write with the International Phonetic. Like it would be kind of, like, more in depth, like, the phonology of the sounds and–”

So I was like, “Sure!” You know. (laughs)

So that was with Julia Nelson, actually. She came as our Elder. So she was there every day speaking language to us and we would repeat. So every day we would have to listen to all the language and then we'd have to just repeat it back. And that's all I actually remember.

A lot of reading and writing. And then we came home and I tried to teach the method because they taught us a method of really... [fades out]

Suzette Amaya [00:21:25] (narrating) By her own admission, when Pewi Alfred came home, she says she got rowdy. She started partying, she got pregnant, and, for a bit, lost herself. But then the culture pulled her back. And she got sober and formed a dance group with friends.

Part of our traditional dances include hand movements. And like Pewi, I didn’t know the hand movements actually had any meaning. In the summer months, Pewi and her friends would dance to entertain tourists and make a bit of money.

Pewi Alfred [00:22:01] This lady looked at me, “Beautiful dance, but what does it mean?”

And then I'm like, “I don't know.” Like, you know, I got all that knowledge when I was younger, but it kind of went, pssh. (laughs) You know, you feel like it goes blank, it just disappears. That forced me to re-learn again.

Suzette Amaya [00:22:17] So many people, they don't know who Kwakwaka’wakw people are, or about our culture. They may see big houses or totem poles or beautiful button blankets. We dance with our hands or we have masks, but it's language that ties everything. Can you share a bit about, like, our hand movements and how important it is to know language, to know what we are doing when we share and practice our sacred culture?

Pewi Alfred [00:22:49] When we dance, we turn to our left, we turn our heart. There's another side of that that was told. You turn to your right, it's like wishing death on yourself. So you turn to your left, but also you turn to – is it counterclockwise? And apparently it's the same way the Earth turns.

So you're gonna bring your hand, palms in, up by your temple and you're gonna flip your hands around and push out. So (speaks Kwakʼwala) and you’re gonna bring it back to yourself up by your forehead down to your body. And that means, “Everybody's come to see me.”

And then you're gonna bring your hands up again, and then you're going to push up like a sun. And that means, “For the big people. The standing that you have amongst our people.”

So I'm gonna sing it for you now. So…

(sings in Kwakʼwala)

So that's telling a story, but it's the same hand action. So everybody's come to see you. And it's the same motion where you bring your hands towards your eyes, push out, and then back to yourself again. And (speaks Kwakʼwala) so your hands go like this. (repeats Kwakʼwala) and that means they're coming to see that professional dancer all over the world.

Suzette Amaya [00:24:51] (narrating) Spending time with Pewi Alfred in her home was amazing. While we were there, crows came to visit, landing on her roof, rifling through the recycling. Just generally causing chaos, as little tricksters do.

One of the biggest lessons I took away from the conversation with Pewi is that spending time with our Elders is one of the most important ways to preserve and revitalize our language. I learned that there are many pathways to reconnecting with Kwakʼwala. Whether through ceremony, song, church hymns, dance, or simply learning one word a day. And that it is never too late to begin that journey.

Pewi has created a safe and welcoming space for people, especially those living away from their homelands, to learn language, culture, and dance. Through her online videos, she teaches everything from Kwakʼwala words and introductions, to the meanings behind songs, hand movements, dance steps, and stories. Making our teachings accessible to people wherever they are.

Her kindness, patience, and passion for sharing knowledge shine through everything she does. She lives her teachings, actively participates in potlatches, and honours a healthy way of life, and serves as an inspiration to many.

I have learned so much from Pewi, her father, Wayne Alfred, a master carver whose artistry and knowledge are beyond words, and her late brother Marcus Alfred, a powerful Hamat̕sa. Their family's commitment to preserving and sharing our culture has touched countless lives and I am grateful for the teachings they continue to share with our people. The Auntie laughs and respect for protocols truly help me personally to come as you are.

I hope you have enjoyed visiting with Pewi Alfred as much as I did.

My name is Suzette Amaya, and you’ve been listening to the Kwak’wala episodes of Words and Culture.

To hear more episodes and visit with other Nations like the Anishinaabe, or the Southern Tutchone, please visit our website at www.wordsandculture.ca. And also follow us on socials, just search, “Words and Culture.”

G̱ilakas'la, ha̱lakas'la.

Announcer [00:27:27] [cheerful electronic music] Words and Culture is made possible with funding from SiriusXM, through the Community Radio Fund of Canada. It is distributed through Native Voice One, The Native American Radio Network. Words and Culture is produced by Kim Wheeler. Kaylen Belair is our audio engineer and editor.

Multiple Speakers [00:27:47] Hamiyaa. Yammi! K’achu naohdá nǫ́. Ha̱lakas'la. Kitakitamaatsinyo’pau, we’ll see you later. [music fades out]