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Where the Language Lives: Vi Hilbert and the Gift of Lushootseed
The life and work of Upper Skagit tribal elder Vi Hilbert, who, more than anyone, revitalized her native language—Lushootseed—and shared it and the culture it expresses with the world.
In 1978, Seattle writer Janet Yoder took a Lushootseed class at the University of Washington. She was expecting to learn a little about this Salish language, and while Yoder did begin her Lushootseed lessons, what followed was lifelong learning and lots of adventures with Skagit tribal elder Vi Hilbert.
Drawn from thirty years of friendship and interviews, Where the Language Lives is a tribute to Vi Hilbert’s life, work, and her quest to preserve her native language. Vi carried her culture by the example of her life as she shared her beloved Lushootseed language through her teaching, speaking, storytelling, recording, and publishing. Without her diligent research and her transcription and translation of early recordings in Lushootseed, much of the language could have been lost to the world. Her historical preservation efforts were recognized with a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, presented by First Lady Hillary Clinton. She was also named a Washington State Living Treasure in 1989. Vi tasked Yoder with this collaborative book as a way of bearing witness, sometimes referring to Yoder as her “chronicler” and showing appreciation for the essays written during her life.
To celebrate the legacy of her dear friend and mentor, Yoder poured decades of Vi’s teachings and stories, along with her experience of knowing Vi, into these essays. Ultimately, Where the Language Lives is a tribute to the memory of a woman who profoundly impacted a culture, a history, and the longevity of a language.
Vi’s commitment to preserving Lushootseed contributed greatly to the renaissance of interest in Lushootseed and the growth of tribal language programs across western Washington.
These essays cover the cultural significance of canoes, baskets, blankets, the bone game, naming ceremonies, stories, and story places, as well as the ritual burning of Vi’s parents’ house in order to send it to them in the spirit world and how Vi came to commission the Healing Heart Symphony.
One foreword note is written by Vi Hilbert’s granddaughter, Jill La Pointe, and the second by Vi’s great-granddaughter Sasha La Pointe.
Ultimately, "Where the Language Lives" evokes the memory of a woman who profoundly impacted a culture, a history, the longevity of a language, and even the larger world.
In 1978, Seattle writer Janet Yoder took a Lushootseed class at the University of Washington. She was expecting to learn a little about this Salish language, and while Yoder did begin her Lushootseed lessons, what followed was lifelong learning and lots of adventures with Skagit tribal elder Vi Hilbert.
Drawn from thirty years of friendship and interviews, Where the Language Lives is a tribute to Vi Hilbert’s life, work, and her quest to preserve her native language. Vi carried her culture by the example of her life as she shared her beloved Lushootseed language through her teaching, speaking, storytelling, recording, and publishing. Without her diligent research and her transcription and translation of early recordings in Lushootseed, much of the language could have been lost to the world. Her historical preservation efforts were recognized with a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, presented by First Lady Hillary Clinton. She was also named a Washington State Living Treasure in 1989. Vi tasked Yoder with this collaborative book as a way of bearing witness, sometimes referring to Yoder as her “chronicler” and showing appreciation for the essays written during her life.
To celebrate the legacy of her dear friend and mentor, Yoder poured decades of Vi’s teachings and stories, along with her experience of knowing Vi, into these essays. Ultimately, Where the Language Lives is a tribute to the memory of a woman who profoundly impacted a culture, a history, and the longevity of a language.
Vi’s commitment to preserving Lushootseed contributed greatly to the renaissance of interest in Lushootseed and the growth of tribal language programs across western Washington.
These essays cover the cultural significance of canoes, baskets, blankets, the bone game, naming ceremonies, stories, and story places, as well as the ritual burning of Vi’s parents’ house in order to send it to them in the spirit world and how Vi came to commission the Healing Heart Symphony.
One foreword note is written by Vi Hilbert’s granddaughter, Jill La Pointe, and the second by Vi’s great-granddaughter Sasha La Pointe.
Ultimately, "Where the Language Lives" evokes the memory of a woman who profoundly impacted a culture, a history, the longevity of a language, and even the larger world.
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276 pages, Paperback
First published May 24, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 1, 2022
The author Janet Yoder wrote a book about her life-long teacher Vi Hilbert, a Native-American tribal elder whom she first met at a class of the Indigenous language Lushootseed and who not only helped preserve this originally only orally transmitted language but also told her about different aspects of her culture like telling stories, building a canoe, weaving baskets, cooking, ritual burning and such. Besides she also included students into her family, so it´s also a tribute of the author to this approachable woman.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.
February 14, 2022
Janet Yoder wrote an ode to the teacher who changed her life. Where the Language Lives is a collection of essays about the life of Vi Hilbert (Lushootseed name: taqʷšəblu), a member of the Upper Skagit Indian tribe in northwest Washington. Vi Hilbert is credited with saving her nearly dormant indigenous language Lushootseed. Such a topic always piques my interest.
Lushootseed language
The Lushootseed language values words about animals and nature. It has only recently become a written language, using IPA to convey its sounds. Vi’s parents wanted her to speak English because the authorities wanted her to, so she was only passively exposed to the Lushootseed language at a young age. Vi Hilbert was not initiated to practice spirit power or healing, as her parents felt there was something more important for her to do in the future.
Vi did not turn her attention to linguistics until her fifties. She took over a teaching post from linguist Thomas Hess who taught her how to write her language. The tribal elders helped her decipher speech from recorded tapes and with great dedication she achieved her goal. Had she not done so it might have been too late and more words, meanings and grammar would have been lost forever. She made the materials about her language widely available, which was not appreciated by everyone.
Culture
Vi Hilbert had a habit of claiming people as family. From the 10 things that Janet learned from Vi it sounds like she lived her life with passion. The reader gets some insight into the tribal culture through accounts of longhouse meetings, stories from the past and explanations of current customs such as gifting blankets and baskets. What surprised me is that this is definitely not an account that focuses on the suffering of indigenous people. I don’t know if these details were simply left out or if it was felt less strongly by Vi than by elders of other tribes.
It is the little things that make this book interesting, such as the rituals involved in selecting a tree to make a canoe and the many Lushootseed words shared with the reader.
Perspective
Janet Yoder writes about Vi Hilbert from her own perspective, making Where the Language Lives more about her journey than Vi’s. The author’s voice and point of view is very present, making you feel a certain distance from Vi. I would have liked it more if the story had been told differently, for example by using more literal quotes from interviews or meetings instead of paraphrasing almost everything. Stories about Vi growing up and other experiences that the author was not present for could have easily been written without the author relating it to other anecdotes. Now it seems more like a book for those who knew Vi intimately than a book for others interested in Vi’s life, the Lushootseed language and culture.
Some events that have special meaning to Janet Yoder are repeatedly mentioned, such as how Janet was welcomed into the classroom despite being an outsider. Janet Yoder sounds extremely grateful when she talks about the many ways she was accepted by Vi. I can clearly feel her gratitude from the way she writes and after a while it starts to make me feel a little uncomfortable. The following quote illustrates this perfectly, “You cover yourself with this blanket and you understand it is not really yours.”
This book will be very dear to her and others who belong to Vi’s (adopted) family. For me, this is a very educational book. It helps me broaden my knowledge of indigenous tribes and languages; a very valuable piece of history, present and future, that I would not otherwise be exposed to.
Many thanks to Girl Friday Productions and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Lushootseed language
The Lushootseed language values words about animals and nature. It has only recently become a written language, using IPA to convey its sounds. Vi’s parents wanted her to speak English because the authorities wanted her to, so she was only passively exposed to the Lushootseed language at a young age. Vi Hilbert was not initiated to practice spirit power or healing, as her parents felt there was something more important for her to do in the future.
Vi did not turn her attention to linguistics until her fifties. She took over a teaching post from linguist Thomas Hess who taught her how to write her language. The tribal elders helped her decipher speech from recorded tapes and with great dedication she achieved her goal. Had she not done so it might have been too late and more words, meanings and grammar would have been lost forever. She made the materials about her language widely available, which was not appreciated by everyone.
Culture
Vi Hilbert had a habit of claiming people as family. From the 10 things that Janet learned from Vi it sounds like she lived her life with passion. The reader gets some insight into the tribal culture through accounts of longhouse meetings, stories from the past and explanations of current customs such as gifting blankets and baskets. What surprised me is that this is definitely not an account that focuses on the suffering of indigenous people. I don’t know if these details were simply left out or if it was felt less strongly by Vi than by elders of other tribes.
It is the little things that make this book interesting, such as the rituals involved in selecting a tree to make a canoe and the many Lushootseed words shared with the reader.
Perspective
Janet Yoder writes about Vi Hilbert from her own perspective, making Where the Language Lives more about her journey than Vi’s. The author’s voice and point of view is very present, making you feel a certain distance from Vi. I would have liked it more if the story had been told differently, for example by using more literal quotes from interviews or meetings instead of paraphrasing almost everything. Stories about Vi growing up and other experiences that the author was not present for could have easily been written without the author relating it to other anecdotes. Now it seems more like a book for those who knew Vi intimately than a book for others interested in Vi’s life, the Lushootseed language and culture.
Some events that have special meaning to Janet Yoder are repeatedly mentioned, such as how Janet was welcomed into the classroom despite being an outsider. Janet Yoder sounds extremely grateful when she talks about the many ways she was accepted by Vi. I can clearly feel her gratitude from the way she writes and after a while it starts to make me feel a little uncomfortable. The following quote illustrates this perfectly, “You cover yourself with this blanket and you understand it is not really yours.”
This book will be very dear to her and others who belong to Vi’s (adopted) family. For me, this is a very educational book. It helps me broaden my knowledge of indigenous tribes and languages; a very valuable piece of history, present and future, that I would not otherwise be exposed to.
Many thanks to Girl Friday Productions and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
August 3, 2023
Amazing book. If you are at all interested in the indigenous language and customs of the Salish Sea read this book. Heartfelt and nicely written. I will plan on rereading this book in the next year.
April 18, 2024
A beautiful biography of a unique and powerful woman, Vi Hilbert, and a memoir of a language. Stunning.
February 24, 2022
Vi Hilbert (1918-2008) was a respected elder of the Upper Skagit people. She is credited with, almost singlehandedly, preserving the Salish-based Lushootseed language. As a working class Native woman she grew up in Washington state, moving as her father logged and fished, listening to her parents and elders speak the language. While visiting relatives she saw the linguist Thomas Hess write down Lushootseed for the first time, and was seized with a desire to learn more.
Preserving the language became her mission in life. She taught Natives and non-Natives, like Yoder herself, at the University of Washington for 17 years. She patiently transcribed tapes, made recordings, wrote and published books, and promoted the use of Lushootseed where ever she went.
Her dedication, her humor and humility, touched many. In this book Yoder pays tribute to her teacher. It is a fascinating, highly readable view into a rich and complex culture, full of longhouses, canoes, rituals, salmon, mountain goat wool blankets, loss and reclamation. This remarkable woman was named a Washington Living Treasure in 1989 and received a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, in 1994. Today you see Lushootseed on street signs and parks, in archives and in elementary school classes, thanks to this spirit-filled woman. The book includes many photographs and will be appreciated by anyone interested in Native American cultures, linguistics, and cultural reclamation. Publication date: May 2022.
Preserving the language became her mission in life. She taught Natives and non-Natives, like Yoder herself, at the University of Washington for 17 years. She patiently transcribed tapes, made recordings, wrote and published books, and promoted the use of Lushootseed where ever she went.
Her dedication, her humor and humility, touched many. In this book Yoder pays tribute to her teacher. It is a fascinating, highly readable view into a rich and complex culture, full of longhouses, canoes, rituals, salmon, mountain goat wool blankets, loss and reclamation. This remarkable woman was named a Washington Living Treasure in 1989 and received a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, in 1994. Today you see Lushootseed on street signs and parks, in archives and in elementary school classes, thanks to this spirit-filled woman. The book includes many photographs and will be appreciated by anyone interested in Native American cultures, linguistics, and cultural reclamation. Publication date: May 2022.
April 12, 2022
I love this book about the life of Vi Hilbert, a Puget Sound tribal elder who led a revival of her native Lushootseed language. Challenging herself and using her ability to influence others to use their own gifts, Hilbert brought Lushootseed into the lives of many people in the Pacific Northwest.
The book is easy to read, and, often, hard to put down. Yoder weaves stories about the various eras of Hilbert’s life with descriptions of cultural experiences that Hilbert invited her to attend. I felt like I was at the boat races, watching the bone game, and sitting “right there” for tribal ceremonies.
As a former typesetter, I can relate to the work involved in bringing Lushootseed to the printed page. As a result, the language lives today in the lives of young people. I marvel at the idea of Lushootseed hip-hop!
Yoder relates how Hilbert described the gift of a blanket as “symbolically an honoring tool. It was more important than money.” This book is an honoring of Vi Hilbert and her culture. I felt uplifted and inspired while reading this book.
I received an advance reader copy.
The book is easy to read, and, often, hard to put down. Yoder weaves stories about the various eras of Hilbert’s life with descriptions of cultural experiences that Hilbert invited her to attend. I felt like I was at the boat races, watching the bone game, and sitting “right there” for tribal ceremonies.
As a former typesetter, I can relate to the work involved in bringing Lushootseed to the printed page. As a result, the language lives today in the lives of young people. I marvel at the idea of Lushootseed hip-hop!
Yoder relates how Hilbert described the gift of a blanket as “symbolically an honoring tool. It was more important than money.” This book is an honoring of Vi Hilbert and her culture. I felt uplifted and inspired while reading this book.
I received an advance reader copy.
Read
April 25, 2023Where the Language Lives is a biography of Vi Hilbert (Upper Skagit) and her mission to help save the Lushootseed language from extinction, told in essays and stories by her longtime friend and assistant Janet Yoder. Vi learned Lushootseed growing up and again in college before going on to teach it here at UW. Her life's goal was to preserve everything she could of the language before all its speakers passed on and it was forgotten, and with the help of a growing community of teachers, linguists, and speakers, she succeeded. This book takes an intimate look at Vi and her life and one leaves it feeling like they know her. It's not a puff piece, there is criticism of some of Vi's failings, but that's because she's just a person. It's important when reading history to remember that historical figures are ultimately people with complex inner lives, and books like this help with that. It'll also make you really want to learn a language, be that Lushootseed or something else. Wish I could fit that in my schedule.
February 10, 2022
This is a collection of essays about Vi Hilbert, a Native American tribal elder who spent a lifetime preserving the indigenous language of Lushootseed, which had been oral only. While the language is highlighted, much of the book focuses on customs, culture, and folk stories.
This is not a book about academics and research. This is about relationships. It isn't necessarily linear. It is basically a love letter to a mentor.
If you are interested in Native American/First Nation culture, you will enjoy this.
Family friendly.
Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reader copy. My opinion is my own.
This is not a book about academics and research. This is about relationships. It isn't necessarily linear. It is basically a love letter to a mentor.
If you are interested in Native American/First Nation culture, you will enjoy this.
Family friendly.
Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reader copy. My opinion is my own.
January 28, 2025
Where the Language Lives is a collection of essays, many written during Vi Hilbert's lifetime, drawn from longtime friend Janet Yoder's experiences as Vi Hilbert's student and from decades of interviews Yoder conducted with Hilbert.
Of first being asked to teach Lushootseed, Hilbert said, "I felt completely inadequate to the task. Then I got brave enough to try anyway because there was nobody else. I was it."
These essays give the reader a fascinating peek at the history and culture of the Pacific Northwest and at how Hilbert went about saving the Lushootseed language and sharing the songs and stories that teach us to live in this place.
Of first being asked to teach Lushootseed, Hilbert said, "I felt completely inadequate to the task. Then I got brave enough to try anyway because there was nobody else. I was it."
These essays give the reader a fascinating peek at the history and culture of the Pacific Northwest and at how Hilbert went about saving the Lushootseed language and sharing the songs and stories that teach us to live in this place.
October 3, 2022
Where The Language Lives is a gem. An insider’s view of Vi Hilbert, a member of the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe in Washington, and her lifelong efforts to preserve her tribe’s indigenous language, Lushootseed. This is no dry academic treatise. The writer worked along with Vi Hilbert for decades and renders an intimate and moving account of her experiences participating in tribal cultural events and rituals. It's beautifully written, by a writer who has mastered her craft, and has an uncanny eye for detail. A rare find.
March 23, 2024
An intimate and honest insight into the life and work of Vi Hilbert as experienced and articulated by a close student of hers, Janet Yoder. Stories of past, present, and “myth” were artfully interwoven to stitch together the living history of the Lushootseed language and Duwamish culture.
I entered this book with an interest in the process of Lushootseed’s transcription from a spoken language to a written system, and am leaving with so much more. Immensely worth a read!
I entered this book with an interest in the process of Lushootseed’s transcription from a spoken language to a written system, and am leaving with so much more. Immensely worth a read!
March 23, 2025
In 1978, Seattle writer Janet Yoder took a Lushootseed class at the University of Washington. She was expecting to learn a little about this Salish language, and while Yoder did begin her Lushootseed lessons, what followed was lifelong learning and lots of adventures with Skagit tribal elder Vi Hilbert.
October 2, 2022
In this beautifully crafted collection of essays, Janet Yoder honors her teacher, mentor and friend Vi Hilbert, the Upper Skagit tribal elder responsible, in large part, for saving the native Lushootseed language.
May 29, 2024
Fascinating biography and stories about Vi Hilbert, a true local hero.
At the risk of sounding a bit obsessed with Sasha taqwšəblu LaPointe, I would love it if she would also write a book about her great-grandmother (who does feature prominently in her memoir and essay collection, to be fair).
At the risk of sounding a bit obsessed with Sasha taqwšəblu LaPointe, I would love it if she would also write a book about her great-grandmother (who does feature prominently in her memoir and essay collection, to be fair).
January 4, 2026
It was a really cool experience to be 3/4 of the way through this book only to realize that the person I am reading about is the great-grandmother of the person who wrote Red Paint. Very different books, but each felt like a window into real and connected people.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 29, 2023
What a rich and wonderful book! Janet Yoder took me into the world of Vi Hilbert, their friendship,the Lushootseed community and increased my exposure to many things.
August 26, 2022
A Northwest Essential Read
With Where the Language Lives: Vi Hilbert and the Gift of Lushootseed, Janet Yoder has created a treasure. This handsome collection of essays and photos weaves biography, memoir, history, linguistics, language learning, friendship, and cultural connection. Vi Hilbert, elder of the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe, storyteller, and guardian of the Lushootseed language lives at the center of this book. Vi Hilbert knew how to make things happen. Vi Hilbert figured out how to keep the Lushootseed language from perishing. Vi Hilbert's missions to sustain her language and culture become Yoder's passion. Yoder's passion became these essays, this clear and unembellished prose. Not only does this book gift readers with countless specifics and new knowledge, it also enlarges an understanding of how to go about this existence based on Vi Hilbert's example. The essays call readers to sustain cultural elements important to them.
With Where the Language Lives: Vi Hilbert and the Gift of Lushootseed, Janet Yoder has created a treasure. This handsome collection of essays and photos weaves biography, memoir, history, linguistics, language learning, friendship, and cultural connection. Vi Hilbert, elder of the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe, storyteller, and guardian of the Lushootseed language lives at the center of this book. Vi Hilbert knew how to make things happen. Vi Hilbert figured out how to keep the Lushootseed language from perishing. Vi Hilbert's missions to sustain her language and culture become Yoder's passion. Yoder's passion became these essays, this clear and unembellished prose. Not only does this book gift readers with countless specifics and new knowledge, it also enlarges an understanding of how to go about this existence based on Vi Hilbert's example. The essays call readers to sustain cultural elements important to them.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews