ʔesknstwexʷ

The nɬeʔkepmxcín and nɬeʔképmx Programs Departments is pleased to announce that with the help of Jerry Voght and the nɬeʔkepmxcín Advisors we are able to share with you our new department name! We began operating as a merged department at the beginning of December of 2024, and we are still working out some kinks and setting up processes to deliver on the Citxw Nlaka’pamux Assembly Strategic Plan. We have had the exciting opportunity to expand our team to help with the newly acquired properties and we are incredibly proud of our team as they have really stepped up and into these new roles and procedures. 

We are incredibly proud to carry a phrase of our language into our next chapter and look forward to encouraging the use and understanding of this phrase. We feel that ʔesknstwexʷ is a good representation of the merging of departments and a wonderful representation of the work that our dedicated staff continue to deliver. We come together to help each other, whether it is with language, food security, cultural practices, or reconnection with land and people, we know that our team is determined to give our absolute best in everything we do. 

Below is a transcript of Jerry’s explanation for the name that was chosen:

“… I finally thought about a couple of old people sitting in their house watching a couple of people working out in the field, and these two people are doing similar jobs, working along and finally (they) look at each other and decide they should work together - to make things easier, so they finally come together, have a little visit, so they’d start working together and carrying on. These two old people are watching them and they smile at each other and then finally they say <ohh ʔesknstwexʷ > so they’re saying, now these two people are helping each other, so ʔesknstwexʷ is combining two things together, helping each other” – Jerry Voght.

Please click on the buttons below to hear our nłeʔkepmxcín Advisor, Jerry explain ʔesknstwexʷ in audio!

 ʔesknstwexʷ Explanation ʔesknstwexʷ Pronunciation