Spokane, Washington — Sitting at a small desk in the basement of a single-family home converted into a school, Graham Wiley-Camacho patiently helped his youngest daughter, Kłaʔmásq̓t (Irie), work through a fractions math problem in n̓səl̓xčin̓ (Colville-Okanagan Salish).
As he helped Kłaʔmásq̓t, whose English name is Irie Wiley-Camacho, and six other elementary school kids work on division problems, the students asked and answered questions on a worksheet all in Salish.
paˤłxʷ, whose English name is Graham, is Sinixt Lake Band from the Colville Confederated Tribes. He is the lead elementary school teacher at Salish School of Spokane, which was founded by his mother, N̓ʔiy̓sítaʔtkʷ, whose English name is LaRae Wiley, in 2009.
N̓ʔiy̓sítaʔtkʷ (LaRae), Sinixt citizen of the Colville Confederated Tribes, is a founder and former executive director of the school. She is now serving as an elder linguist. paˤłxʷ (Graham)’s dad, ʔaˤn̓n̓, whose English name is Chris Parkin, is the school’s principal…