B.C.'s fluent speakers of First Nations languages are a dwindling minority (fwd link)

[Phillip E Cash Cash]

B.C.'s fluent speakers of First Nations languages are a dwindling minority

Stefania Seccia, Westerly News
Published: Friday, May 07, 2010

About 60 per cent of indigenous languages are found in B.C. but the amount
of people who can speak them fluently is rapidly declining, according to the
first annual report on the Status of B.C. First Nations Languages 2010
released April 30.

The report, published by the First Peoples' Heritage, Language and Culture
Council, also includes the number of speakers for each language and their
community's efforts to stifle the loss in language.

"We've learned that we're not keeping up with the population explosion,"
Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council (NTC) president Cliff Atleo told the Westerly.
"Every year we lose language speakers." There are about 32 languages in 59
dialects in B.C. and about 109,588 members of the First Nation population
were surveyed for this report.

Access full article below:
http://www2.canada.com/westerly/story.html?id=9b10404c-b2bc-4c58-9066-cbc770a8963b
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