Haisla

The Haisla (also Xa’islak’ala, X̄a’islak̕ala, X̌àʔislak̕ala, X̄a’islak’ala, X̣aʔislak’ala, Xa'islak'ala) are a First Nation people living at Kitamaat in British Columbia. Haisla also refers to their language.

Language

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Haisla is a North Wakashan (Kwakiutlan) language spoken by about several hundred people. Haisla is geographically the northernmost Wakashan language. Its nearest Wakashan neighbor is Oowekyala. Haisla is related to the other North Wakashan languages, Oowekyala, Heiltsuk, and Kwakiutl.

The name Haisla is derived from the Haisla word x̣àʔisla or x̣àʔisəla '(those) living at the rivermouth, living downriver'.

The Haisla language consists of two dialects (or sublanguages):

• Kitamaat
• Kitlope (a.k.a. X̣enaksialak’ala)

Links

• www.haisla.ca Haisla Nation website
• The Haisla Languages (Emmon Bach's page)
  • Haisla text: Dyeing (as told by Jeffrey L. Legaic) (includes .WAV sound file)
• X̄a’islak̕ala / X̌àʔislak̕ala / X̄a’islak’ala (Haisla) (Chris Harvey’s Native Language, Font, & Keyboard)
  • X̄a’islak̕ala / X̌àʔislak̕ala / X̄a’islak’ala (Haisla) Example Text
• Bibliography of Materials on the Haisla Language (YDLI)

Bibliography

• Mithun, Marianne. (1999). The languages of Native North America. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0–521–23228–7 (hbk); ISBN 0–521–29875-X.