Report Urges Action for B.C.'s First Nations Languages (fwd)

Fri Apr 30 22:54:14 UTC 2010

Apr 30, 2010 13:00 ET
Press Release
Canada

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

BRENTWOOD BAY, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - April 30, 2010) - 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. The first annual Report on the Status of
B.C. First Nations Languages 2010 provides concrete data on the province's
First Nations languages, includ ing 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 minor ity of the B.C. First Nations population. It also
reveals that most fluent speakers are over 65, the number of semi-fluent
speak ers 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
lan guage 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 learn ers 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 immer sion 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 commu nity-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,
com munities identify language resources and projects in their communities
as well as the gaps in these areas. Based on these assess ments, communities
can set their priorities and goals accordingly.

The First Peoples' Council urges communities to update their information and
report any inaccuracies in the re port by filling out a Language Needs
Assess ment (http://maps.fphlcc.ca/lna) that will be added to the next
version of the report.

Visit www.fphlcc.ca to download a copy of the report.

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 www.fphlcc.ca.

For more information, please contact
The First Peoples' Heritage, Language and Culture Council

Media Contact:
Megan Lappi, Communications Manager
(250) 652-5952 ext. 214
Cell: (250) 893-8897
www.fphlcc.ca

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