The Kalispel Tribe owns and operates more than a dozen businesses and enterprises in and around the Pend Oreille area.

We believe in building a strong community and our economic development opportunities emphasize our commitment to the land and people.

Salish Curriculum

Our traditions and our language are what make the Kalispel people who we are today. The language ties us to the land, our relations, and our past.

CUSICK JUNIOR HIGH AND HIGH SCHOOL

The Kalispel Language program and the Cusick SD work together to provide the Kalispel language instruction in the classroom for all our students. We teach Beginning Kalispel 1 and beginning Kalispel Stories 1 classes to JH/HS students. Each class receives 4-8 hrs of instruction per week.

DAYTIME ADULT CLASS

Currently, we are teaching one In October, we will be starting our daytime adult class at the language office in Cusick. This class is designed for community members and employees who have prior approval from their supervisors. It will meet Monday-Thursday from 8-9 am. If you are interested in taking the class please contact JR Bluff or Jessie Isadore. If you work for the Kalispel Tribe, you will need approval from your immediate supervisor. This class will meet for about 9 months and will cover our Kalispel I and Kalispel Stories I. Vickie Leach and Tina Butler will be the Instructors.

KALISPEL LANGUAGE IMMERSION SCHOOL 
(SNYOYOʔSPUʔÚSM)

The K-5 Immersion School is in full swing. We currently have approximately 45 kids registered in the school. These students receive 2 1/2  hrs of Immersion Instruction per day. The students receive language learning and instruction on topics that are significant to our Kalispel Traditions and Culture. Topics follow our native lifeways and the native calendar. 

KALISPEL LANGUAGE INTENSIVE

We are currently teaching Kalispel Stories 1 and Kalispel Stories 2 in two different classes at the school. These classes are made up of our curent teachers who are motivated to increase their fluency. The students learn for 2 hrs/day. 

Language Books

Beginning Kalispel I Curriculum

Listed below are the first 45 lessons from our Kalispel I curriculum. These lessons were recently updated 10-17. Please click on the links below to access the specific lessons for the Kalispel I lessons. If you want to use the SalishTutor to learn the words you can click here and you will be re-directed to the language software page.

Kalispel Song Books

Below are PDFs for our Beginning Kalispel Songbook and our Christmas Songbook. The Beginning Songbook is taught in conjunction with the Kalispel I curriculum. The Christmas Songbook is something we put together to get everyone in the Christmas Spirit. Enjoy!  Please download Adobe Reader to view and print the lessons.

Listening Programs

Kalispel I Listening Program

Listed on this page is the Kalispel Listening program designed for the Kalispel I Curriculum. This program is designed to help the new language learner to comprehend and learn the Kalispel I materials.

Once you have the listening program document printed out, simply click on the mp3 audio link to hear the lesson activity. Good luck.

LISTENING PROGRAM DOCUMENTS
MP3 AUDIO FILES FOR LISTENING PROGRAM

Kalispel Workbooks

Kalispel Story I Student Workbooks

Here are the Student Workbooks for the 15 stories in the Kalispel Story I Curriculum. These were recently updated 10/17. We do our best to update these every year.

If you want to use the StoryTeller program to help learn the stories click here and you will be re-directed to the language software page. Good Luck.

Student Workbooks documents