BRENTWOOD BAY, B.C.—The Department of Canadian Heritage has recently invested $6.86 million in First Nations language programs through the First Peoples’ Cultural Council (FPCC). That brings the total investment from the federal government to $14.6 million this year.
The funding from the federal government makes up for provincial funding that was not renewed. Starting in 2018, the B.C. government set aside $50 million to spend on language revitalizaiton projects. However, when funding was reviewed in 2021, the line item was not renewed.
Leaders from the FPCC explain that thanks to the federal government investment, they will be able to maintain their grant giving, which came in at 700 grants last year. The funding will be applied to immersion strategies, language planning, resource development and more to support the preservation and revitalization of 34 First Nations languages in the province.
The grants are customized according to the different community needs. The FPCC says community-based programs allow Indigenous language speakers to document the language, teach it to others and pass the torch to new generations as elders age. This is done through both personal interaction and technology.
The FPCC, a provincial Crown corporation, is dedicated to helping First Nations in B.C. revitalize their languages, arts and cultures.
