[Vala] vala 8.1 cannot build valencia

[john aman <johnaman verizon net>]

downloaded and installed vala 8.1 w only minor faults

tried to build valencia and got the following


...
    public weak string get_start_after_comments() {
           ^^^^
valencia.vala:56.1-56.4: warning: deprecated syntax, use `unowned`
modifier
weak string buffer_contents(Gtk.TextBuffer buffer) {
^^^^
valencia.vala:1267.54-1267.57: warning: deprecated syntax, use `unowned`
modifier
    void get_buffer_str_and_pos(string filename, out weak string source,
out int pos) {
                                                     ^^^^
program.vala:312.1-312.30: warning: unable to chain up to base
constructor requiring arguments
class Block : Statement, Scope {
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
program.vala:611.33-611.84: error: Access to private member
`SymbolSet.new' denied
            SymbolSet symbols = new SymbolSet(s.name, find_type, exact,
constructor);

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
program.vala:632.20-632.57: error: Access to private member
`SymbolSet.new' denied
            return new SymbolSet("", false, false, false);
                   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
program.vala:634.29-634.80: error: Access to private member
`SymbolSet.new' denied
        SymbolSet symbols = new SymbolSet(q.name, find_type, exact,
constructor);

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
program.vala:563.5-563.21: warning: unable to chain up to private base
constructor
    public SourceFile(Program? program, string filename) {
    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
parser.vala:725.10-725.53: warning: unhandled error `GLib.FileError'
    if (!FileUtils.get_contents(filename, out source)) {
         ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
valencia.vala:1887.1-1887.27: warning: unable to chain up to private
base constructor
class Plugin : Gedit.Plugin {
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
valencia.vala:1467.34-1467.48: error: Access to private member
`ErrorList.new' denied
            program.error_list = new ErrorList();
                                 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
valencia.vala:1488.34-1488.75: error: Access to private member
`ErrorPair.new' denied
                ErrorPair pair = new ErrorPair(doc_mark, build_mark,
einfo);

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
valencia.vala:975.26-975.83: warning: unhandled error
`GLib.IOChannelError'
                status = source.read_line(out line, out length, out
terminator_pos);

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
valencia.vala:725.17-725.50: warning: unhandled error `GLib.Error'
        ui_id = manager.add_ui_from_string(ui, -1);
                ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Compilation failed: 5 error(s), 85 warning(s)
make: *** [libvalencia.so] Error 1



Any idea what i am doing wrong?  The install looked dead simple - make,
make install

Thanks in advance

ps running debian sid with everything up 2 date