Lushootseed love poem

Love poem translated into Twulshootseed (Southern Lushootseed, Whulshootseed, Lushootseed, Northern Lushootseed, Northern Puget Sound Salish, Autonym: xʷəlšucid), the language of the Puyallup Indians. Twulshootseed is a Salish, agglutinating, and a southern lushootseed dialect. Whulshootseed is another name for this language which is taught in Auburn by the Muckleshoot Tribal College as part of the Muckleshoot Language Program.

The Puyallup (Spuyaləpabš, S’Puyalupubsh), form a Native American tribe in the northwestern United States (Washington State). The Puyallup Reserve is located in an area just east of the city of Tacoma.

The Puyallup try to conserve their language through revitalization programs, teaching them at school. It was estimated in 2005 that it remained only one woman aged 82 to speak whulshootseed. I am glad that my little poem has been translated in a so endangered language.