The Government of Canada Supports Aboriginal Language Preservation (fwd)

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Dec 16, 2009 13:30 ET

The Government of Canada Supports Aboriginal Language Preservation

ALERT BAY, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Dec. 16, 2009) - On behalf of the
Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages,
John Duncan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and
Northern Development and Member of Parliament (Vancouver Island North), today
announced funding for the U'mista Cultural Society for their project "Talking
with Technology."

The funding will allow the Society to create video and audio recordings of
Elders speaking the Kwak'wala language. These professionally recorded audio and
video files will be digitally archived in the collections of the U'mista and
will be available to the Kwakwaka'wakw and other language learners and teachers
for their lesson planning. In addition, 12 new Kwak'wala language lessons plans
will be produced and made available on the U'mista website.

"The Government of Canada is pleased to partner with an organization that is
contributing to the revitalization and promotion of an Aboriginal language,"
said Minister Moore.

"These materials being developed and created with the latest technologies will
help ensure that unique elements of this culture can be passed down and
shared."

"The U'mista Cultural Society is an important part of the community and an
essential repository for First Nations cultural heritage," said Mr. Duncan.

"Preserving the Kwak'wala language will help to retain an important piece of our
shared history and to advance a vibrant and sustainable culture well into the
future."

The U'mista Cultural Society was created in British Columbia in 1974. Its
mandate is to ensure the survival of all aspects of Kwakwaka'wakw cultural
heritage.

The Government of Canada has provided $50,000 in funding through the Aboriginal
Languages Initiative (ALI) Innovation Fund. The objective of the ALI Innovation
Fund is to encourage and support innovative community-based language projects
utilizing existing technology in the promotion and preservation of First
Nations languages.

The Aboriginal Languages Initiative provides funding to support the preservation
and promotion of Aboriginal languages to increase their use in community and
family settings. The Initiative is part of the Department of Canadian
Heritage's Aboriginal Peoples' Program, which supports the full participation
of Aboriginal peoples in Canadian society and the promotion, revitalization,
and preservation of Aboriginal languages and cultures. It also helps enable
Aboriginal peoples to address the social, cultural, economic, and political
issues affecting their lives.

(This news release is available on the Internet at www.canadianheritage.gc.ca
under Media Room.)