THE CHOSEN ONE
Smak i’ya’, Lummi language teacher, is at the forefront of Washington’s transition to a curriculum that incorporates indigenous cultures.
Story by Emily Stout | Photos by Hailey Hoffman
On a slow Monday at Ferndale High School, the bell rings and students shuffle into class. They walk around, talking and laughing among themselves. Suddenly, a soft hum sweeps across the room and everyone grows quiet. Matt Warbus stands in the front, wearing a teacher’s badge and playing a traditional cedar flute. “Hello, my friends and relatives, my name is Smak i’ya’ and I’d like to thank everyone for being here today,” he says in Xwlemi Chosen, the Lummi language.
WARBUS, KNOWN TO his students and colleagues as Smak i’ya’, has been the Lummi language teacher at Ferndale High School for 16 years. What began as a small Native American student club during lunch hour in the 1980s has blossomed into a large program that focuses on keeping the Lummi language alive among more than 600 Native American students in the district. Many are hopeful about the expansion of Native American education programs in Washington state as a counterweight to the long history of marginalized indigenous communities.
Giving students tools for success is the ultimate goal and Smak i’ya’s dedication plays a large role in making that possible, said Jill Iwasaki, director of student services for the Ferndale School District.
At the start of class, Smak i’ya’ walks around the room and addresses students individually, asking them about their day and how other classes are going. In the front row, two students fist-bump and others chat about an upcoming fundraiser for a community service project.
“I think if I didn’t have this class, I’d be more lonely,” said Sadie Olsen, a student in Smak i’ya’s Native American leadership class. Smak i’ya’ grew up in Lynden, Washington, until he started high school and left home. He hopped around to many high schools in Whatcom County before finally settling at the Lummi Nation School and graduating at the age of 21.
“I was looking for a place where I felt comfortable,” Smak i’ya’ said.
In 2015, the state Senate passed a bill requiring schools in Washington to include tribal history and culture in their curriculum. Part of the curriculum change is reaching out to local tribes, and for Ferndale, that meant more connection with the Lummi tribe.
Iwasaki said theFerndale School District holds regular meetings with Lummi families and is increasing efforts to work with tribal members. This can be difficult because of mistrust harbored toward the public school system, Smak i’ya’ said.
In Ferndale, much of the mistrust from tribal elders blooms from the racism that took place in public schools in the 1970s, Smak i’ya’ said. During this time, tribes asserted their fishing rights, often meeting opposition from non-tribal fishermen. In 1974, Federal Judge George Hugo Boldt ruled 50 percent of the salmon catch in Washington state belonged to tribes with treaties, including the Lummi tribe.
This decision intensified anti-indigenous sentiments, affecting Native students in Ferndale on a daily basis, said Michael Marker, associate professor of indigenous studies at the University of British Columbia and head teacher of Lummi Nation School when it was established.
“There was a lot of confusion and oppression that had been part of the history of colonization that actually got played out in the schools,” Marker said.
Smak i’ya’ attended Ferndale High School for a short time in 1989, well after the Boldt Decision. Although it wasn’t as severe as it used to be, Native students were often made fun of and sat in one area of the room out of fear of being bullied, he said.
In 2001, when Smak i’ya’ was told he was going to be the Lummi language teacher in Ferndale, he was hesitant.
“It was mixed feelings,” Smak i’ya’ said. “Part of it was being excited, part of it was being afraid.”
Smak i’ya’ remembered the isolation he felt as a student in Ferndale, so it took a few years for him to finally settle into the job. Over time, however, he built lasting relationships with the students and faculty. “I began to realize that they actually appreciate the work that I am doing,” he said.
After he earned an associate degree at Northwest Indian College and briefly attended Western Washington University, Smak i’ya’ began doing cultural work for the Lummi tribe. In the mornings, he took part in Lummi language courses offered to tribal employees. Before work, Smak i’ya’ learned vocabulary words and competed to memorize them with his cousin, who worked with him at the time.
When a linguist visited the tribe, Smak i’ya’ realized the importance of spreading the language. Several Lummi elders recorded their knowledge of the language on tape and Smak i’ya’ listened to those recordings with interest.
An estimated 155 indigenous languages are spoken in the United States. One-hundred-thirty-five of these, however, are classified as moribund — spoken only by adults and not effectively passed on to younger generations. There are 16 Native languages spoken in Washington state, but only a few of them have fluent speakers under the age of 60.
With support from Northwest Indian College, Lummi Nation School and Ferndale School District, the Lummi language is better off than many indigenous languages. Still, the Lummi language is considered to be nearly extinct according to the Expanded Graded Intergenerational Disruption Scale, a scale that Ethnologue, a publication about living languages, uses to assess the health of languages.
Education programs like the one at Ferndale High School give languages a legitimacy that Lummi was previously denied, said Judy Pine, a linguistics professor at Western.
“Having that recognition that you have a real language with real grammar — I think it’s a powerful tool for communities,” Pine said.
Smak i’ya’ said having these classes at the public school has a positive impact on the students’ confidence. All his classes are open to non-native students and he hopes this creates an environment of inclusion. He now teaches a two-year Native American leadership program in addition to language. With help from students, he may be able to begin teaching elementary classes in the next few years.
Since Smak i’ya’ started teaching, the language program has expanded to Horizon Middle School. He would like to see it grow into all the middle schools and elementary schools in the district.
Smak i’ya’ said above all, he wants to create a space where students know they can be successful.
“I am about building consistency and stability for my students,” he said. “This lets them know that they can depend on me, and that I’ll always be there for them.”
