Last updated: July 9, 2026.
This page explains how this website handles information when you visit. This is an educational site about the Coast Salish word Xwótqwem, the origin of the name “Whatcom.” It collects as little information as possible.
Information this site collects
This site has no user accounts, no comment sections, no contact forms, and no online store. It does not ask you for your name, your email address, or payment details, and it has no way to receive them.
Like nearly every website, the hosting provider automatically records standard technical log data, such as your IP address, browser type, and the pages you view. This is used for security, troubleshooting, and keeping the site running.
Analytics
This site uses Google Analytics 4, through the Site Kit plugin, to see in aggregate how visitors use the pages. Google may set cookies and process usage data under its own privacy policy. This information is not used to identify individual visitors. You can opt out of Google Analytics through your browser settings or Google’s own opt-out tools.
Cookies
Cookies are small files a website stores in your browser. This site uses two kinds: analytics cookies, set by Google Analytics as described above, and security cookies, set by the security plugin that protects the site from attacks. You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings and the site will still work.
Third parties
A small number of service providers help operate the site and handle limited data on its behalf, each under their own privacy policies: Google for analytics, the web host for hosting and server logs, and the security service that filters malicious traffic. Your data is not sold, and it is not shared except as needed to run and secure the site or to comply with the law.
Your choices
You can block or delete cookies at any time through your browser, and you can opt out of Google Analytics using Google’s opt-out tools. Because analytics data is collected and held by Google rather than by this site, requests about that data are handled through Google’s own privacy controls.
No contact channel
This site is a reference, not a service. It does not operate a contact form, a mailing list, or a published contact address, and it does not solicit correspondence. Nothing on these pages asks you to identify yourself, and there is no inbox behind them.
Children
This site is written for a general audience. It is not directed to children under 13, and it does not knowingly collect personal information from children.
Changes
This policy may be updated from time to time. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page shows the most recent revision.