The troubling state of BC’s First Nations languages

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 30, 2010

Report Urges Action for B.C.’s First Nations Languages

BRENTWOOD BAY – The First Peoples’ Heritage, Language and Culture Council (the First
Peoples’ Council) has published a report that reveals the troubling state of British Columbia’s
First Nations languages.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/30762434/2010-Report-on-the-Status-of-Bc-First-Nations-Languages

http://www.scribd.com/doc/30762434/2010-Report-on-the-Status-of-Bc-First-Nations-Languages

The first annual Report on the Status of B.C. First Nations Languages
2010 provides concrete data on the province’s First Nations languages, including the numbers of
speakers and resources for each language, as well as community efforts to stem language loss.

The report finds that fluent First Nations language speakers make up a small and shrinking minority
of the B.C. First Nations population. It also reveals that most fluent speakers are over 65, the
number of semi-fluent speakers is small and the majority of classroom language teaching is
insufficient to create enough new fluent speakers to revitalize a language.

“British Columbia is home to 60% of the indigenous languages in Canada as well as distinct
language families not found anywhere else in the world,” says Dr. Lorna Williams, Chair of the
Board at the First Peoples’ Council and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Knowledge and
Learning at the University of Victoria. “The cultural and linguistic diversity of B.C. is a priceless
treasure for all of humanity and this report shows that more must be done to protect it.”

On the positive side, the report provides several examples of language revitalization work in First
Nations communities. It also indicates that many semi-fluent speakers and the majority of
language learners are under the age of 25, which points to the growth of community-based
language revitalization projects across the province.

KEY FINDINGS
The report recognizes that there are different ways to measure and define language endangerment.
Given the diversity of B.C. languages, the report uses three variables to measure language endangerment
in B.C.—speakers, usage and language resources.

SPEAKERS (measures the ages, numbers and percentage of speakers of First Nations languages)
Fluent First Nations language speakers make up 5.1% of the reporting population and
most of them are over the age of 65.

Those that reported as “semi-fluent” make up 8.2% of the reporting population. The level
of fluency varies widely in the semi-fluent speaker group.

Combined, fluent and semi-fluent speakers make up 13.3% of the First Nations
population.

11.1% of the reporting population is learning a First Nations language. The level of
education that these learners receive is often insufficient to create new fluent speakers.
USAGE (where and how much the language is being spoken and taught)

Typically, a student enrolled in a First Nations operated school spends one to four hours
learning a First Nations language per week (excluding immersion schools).

However, 34% of students attending a First Nations operated school or Head Start
program reported that they are not learning a First Nations language.

In the majority of communities, a First Nations language is rarely spoken at home, at
work or in the media.

LANGUAGE RESOURCES (the level of documentation, recordings, archives and curriculum
materials for a language)

31% of communities have recordings of their languages available as a community
resource.

Although archiving is necessary for the survival of endangered languages, only 39% of
communities reported having access to a FirstVoices.com archive for their language.

52% have curriculum materials for teaching their language.

“With this report, we now have concrete evidence of what we have known for some time: all First
Nations languages in B.C. are in a critical state,” says Williams. “I am encouraged by the many
fantastic community-based language programs detailed in the report, but unfortunately, they are
not enough to stem the loss. I sincerely hope this report is recognized as a call-to-action to save
our languages before it is too late.”

INPUT FROM COMMUNITIES
The report would not have been possible without input from communities. The report’s data was
taken from a database of Language Needs Assessments that were filled out by community
organizations when they applied for language funding from the First Peoples’ Council. Through
Language Needs Assessments, communities identify language resources and projects in their
communities as well as the gaps in these areas. Based on these assessments, communities can set
their priorities and goals accordingly.

The First Peoples’ Council urges communities to update their information and report any
inaccuracies in the report by filling out a Language Needs Assessment (http://maps.fphlcc.ca/lna)
that will be added to the next version of the report.
Visit http://www.fphlcc.ca to download a copy of the report.
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About the First Peoples’ Heritage, Language and Culture Council:
The First Peoples’ Council is a B.C. Crown corporation with the mandate to support First Nations
in their efforts to revitalize their languages, arts, cultures and heritage. The First Peoples’ Council
has distributed more than $21.5 million to B.C. Aboriginal communities over the past 20 years.

For more information, visit http://www.fphlcc.ca