This poster presents a reflective practice account grounded in community engaged hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language revitalization, guided by Dr. Jo-Ann Archibald’s (2008) 4R Indigenous Storywork principles: Respect, Responsibility, Reciprocity, and Reverence. Rather than a formal research study or program evaluation, this work is a result of our collective relational language teaching and learning within the Katzie community and at Simon Fraser University between 2022-2026.

Methodologically, we draw on our collective experiences and Indigenous Storywork (Archibald, 2008) as both a pedagogical framework and analytical approach to examine course delivery, learner engagement, and community participation. Respect forms how teachings are shared and attributed; Responsibility informs our accountability to community and territory; Reciprocity structures intergenerational knowledge transmission; and Reverence grounds instruction in spiritual and cultural relationships to place.

While a growing body of research documents effective strategies for Indigenous language revitalization (McIvor, 2006), this poster showcases the storied interconnections of land and language as a decolonial approach. In accordance with relational land-language frameworks (Engman & Hermes, 2021; Hare, 2022), our grounded findings assert that language learning on land and water supports increased learner confidence, retention, and cultural belonging.

By applying the 4R Indigenous Storywork (Archibald, 2008) framework to hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language revitalization, this work demonstrates how land-based, multimodal pedagogy both challenges colonial boundaries and supports cultural connections. Furthermore, it advances broader conversations on Indigenous resurgence and decolonial education.

Authors:
Cheyenne Cunningham, University of British Columbia, Canada
Leah Meunier, University of British Columbia, Canada
Kaitlyn Cunningham, Simon Fraser University, Canada

About the Presenter(s)
Kaitlyn Cunningham is an MA student in Linguistics at Simon Fraser University, with a research focus on q̓íc̓əy̓ Creation Stories, TEK, Indigenous ethnobotany, and ethnoastronomy. She currently teaches hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ immersion courses at SFU.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaitlyn-cunningham-a32967111/

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