Nuxalk Radio, Nuxalkmc Language: Slts'lani interview, talk, and documentary trailer

The Nuxalk Nation is located in the area of so-called “British Columbia, Canada”, in and around the town of Bella Coola, a 12 hours drive NW from Vancouver.

Slts’lani (Banchi Hanuse) is the manager of Nuxalk Radio, a small-transmitter CRTC-license-exempt Native radio station launched on the summer solstice 2014, inspired during the 2012 Idle No More resistance movement. Their main aim is to promote the Nuxalkmc* language, along with Nuxalk nationhood and stewardship of Nuxalk homelands, and to provide uplifting programming mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. It broadcasts online at nuxalkradio.com, as well as locally at 91.1 FM.

(*Nuxalkmc is the word for the Nuxalk people)

In 2017, Slts’lani was in Ottawa for the Future of First Nation, Métis, and Inuit Broadcasting national convergence. This interview was recorded after the convergence, and Slts’lani speaks about Nuxalk Radio, about the national and regional convergences she participated in, and more, including the desire for some sort of network coordination for Native radio broadcasters.

Below the interview, is Slts’lani’s 10-min presentation as part of a panel at the convergence (with both audio and video versions), and also the video trailer for her documentary film Cry Rock (see smayaykila.com) that Slts’lani created about the remaining Nuxalkmc language holders and efforts to keep the language alive.

All videos from the Future of Indigenous Broadcasting national convergence are online at archive.org, and the Cry Rock film can be obtained for viewing or screening via Moving Images Distribution

For more on the Nuxalkmc language, see the Nuxalk page on the First Voices website.

2019 is the International Year of Indigenous Languages.

Slts’lani quoted the late Neskie Manuel, of Secwepec Radio, in her presentation, to summarize what this is about: