News and Announcements
New App to Enable Indigenous Language Speakers to Text in Their Languages
A story about FirstVoices Chat, an Indigenous language texting app for Facebook and Google Talk, will be broadcast on CBC Television’s "the National” today (March 2). Check your local listings.
The Chat App had a high profile world premiere in Vancouver last week. B.C.’s Lieutenant Governor, Steven Point and his wife, Gwen Point, exchanged text messages in their Halq’eméylem language before several hundred delegates at the ICT Summit on February 24.
More details about the Chat App coming soon. Watch this website and FirstVoices.com.
Posted: February 23, 2012
FPHLCC Facing Funding Challenges
The Board and staff of the First Peoples’ Heritage, Language and Culture Council (FPHLCC) are working hard to find additional funding in response to announcements of unexpected decreases in contributions from two key funders for the 2012/13 fiscal year.
Click here to read more.
Updated: December 6, 2011
Master-Apprentice Program Now Accepting Applications
We are seeking applications for our Master-Apprentice program.
The Master-Apprentice Program pairs a fluent "master" with a language learner. The two spend 300 hours per year for three years doing everyday activities in their language.
Deadline for applications: Closed
Application forms for the Master-Apprentice Program are available here.
Note:Acorrection has been made to Section 7 of the application form. We expect MAP teams to complete 50 hours of immersion work permonth, not per week. Thank you to those who pointed out the error!
Posted: November 16, 2011
New Report Forms Available for BC Language Initiative (BCLI) and Language and Culture Camps
Report forms for 2011-2012 BCLI funding recipients are now available here.
The B.C. Language Initiative (BCLI) is a provincial program funded through the First Citizens Fund. The BCLI supports projects that seek to revitalize provincial First Nations languages through documentation, language classes, immersion programs, material and curriculum development and promotion.
Report forms for 2011-2012 Language and Culture Camp funding recipients are now available here.
Language and Culture Camps create an opportunity for First Nations families, Elders and youth to be immersed in the language and culture through activities that facilitate the transmission of traditional knowledge and values. They nurture the relationship between youth, Elders and the land.
Posted: October 21, 2011
Call for Applications for the Aboriginal Languages Initiative (ALI)
The Aboriginal Languages Initiative (ALI) is a federal program funded by the Department of Canadian Heritage. The ALI provides funding support for community and regionally-based projects directed at maintaining, revitalizing and promoting First Nations languages. ALI funds are distributed to provincial and territorial delivery organizations.
Deadline for Applications: Closed
Applications for 2012/13 ALI funding are available here.
Download the Call for Applications here.
Updated: October 20, 2011
Aboriginal Arts Development Awards Application Deadline Extended!
To increase support to underserved regions and artistic practices, the deadlines for all Aboriginal Arts Development Award Applications have been extended.
The deadline for the Individual Artists category and the Sharing Traditional Arts Across Generations category is Closed.
The deadline for the Organizations and Collectives category and the Aboriginal Arts Administrator Internships and Mentorships category is Closed.
For more information, guidelines and application forms, click here.
Posted: July 10, 2011
2011 Language Champions Honoured
First Peoples' and FNESC honoured eight amazing B.C. language champions today in Vancouver at the First Nations Languages Conference, which is co-hosted by the two organizations.
"We are so proud of our Language Champions," said Tracey Herbert, Executive Director at First Peoples'. "They are a truly inspiring group of people who have dedicated their lives to keeping their languages alive for the next generation of speakers."
To find out more, click here:
News Release July 10, 2011
Posted: April 27, 2011
Our latest newsletter is now available!
Stories in the Spring/Summer 2011 issue include:
- The launch of the FirstVoices Mobile app and the new Heritage Toolkit
- Conversation with language champion Mandy Jimmie and artist Rande Cook
- The St'át'imcets language archive has reached 7,000 entries!
- Sleeping Languages: what they are and how we can bring them back
Would you like to receive this issue by mail? Send an email to info@fphlcc.ca with your request.
Posted: March 31, 2011
First Peoples' Celebrates National Aboriginal Languages Day
The First Peoples’ Heritage, Language and Culture Council is celebrating National Aboriginal Languages Day today and the progress that has been made to revitalize British Columbia’s First Nations languages.
"On this day, we have the opportunity to honour the hard work that is being done in communities across the province for B.C.’s First Nations languages,” said Tracey Herbert, Executive Director of the Council.
"Although much has been done, we must also continue to sound the alarm,” said Herbert. "As noted in the 2010 Report on the Status of B.C. First Nations Languages, 65% of the First Nations languages in B.C. are nearly extinct and the window of opportunity to act for many of our languages is only four years. Significant investment is needed to keep B.C.’s languages alive for future generations.”
Click here to download the release.
Click here to find out more about the language report.
Posted: March 1, 2011
Online Webinar Sessions Designed to Assist You
The language department will be holding a series of webinars over the next few weeks to assist you in developing your funding proposals and reporting forms. The webinars are as follows:
Aboriginal Languages Initiative 2011-12 Proposal Development
Thursday, March 3, 2011 at 10:30 am (1 hour)
The proposal call deadline is March 18, 2011.
Language and Culture Camp 2011-12 Proposal Development
Friday, March 4, 2011 at 10:30 am (1 hour)
The proposal call deadline is March 11, 2011.
Aboriginal Languages Initiative Final Report Requirements 2010-11
Tuesday, March 15, 2011 at 10:30 am (1 hour)
B.C. Language Initiative Final Report Overview for 2010-11
Tuesday, March 15, 2011 at 2:30 pm (1 hour)
To participate, send an email to Janice Webster (janice@fphlcc.ca) or Deanna Daniels (deanna@fphlcc.ca) with your email address and an invitation will be sent to you with details about how to join the webinar session.
Click here for more details.
Posted: December 20, 2010
Minister of Canadian Heritage announces three-year renewal of ALI funding, new funding formula and increase funding for B.C. projects
We just attended an event at the Museum of Anthropology where the Ministerof Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, the Honourable James Mooreannounced a three-year renewal of the Aboriginal Languages Initiative, a newfunding formula for First Nations language funding and an increase offunding for B.C. language projects - from $232,470 to $834,400.
The Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation, the HonourableBarry Penner was also in attendance and we presented both Ministers withiPod Touches with the SENĆOŦEN and Halq'eméylem FirstVoices apps on them.
Photo from left to right: Pauline Terbasket, Chair of First Peoples' Foundation; the Honourable Barry Penner, Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation; Minister James Moore; Dr. Lorna Williams, Chair of the First Peoples' Council; and Tracey Herbert, Executive Director of the First Peoples' Council. (photo courtesy of the Department of Canadian Heritage)
Posted: December 15, 2010
B.C. First Nations Language Apps Now Available for the iPod, iPad and iPhone
Developed as a mobile extension of language collections archived by First Nations communities at FirstVoices.com, the first two prototype apps feature the SENĆOŦEN language of Southern Vancouver Island and the Halq’eméylem language of the Sto:lo Nation in the Fraser Valley.
FirstVoices Mobile provides media-rich First Nations dictionaries and phrase collections with audio recordings, images and videos. Also under development are touch-screen keyboards that use the unique characters of a First Nations language, as well as an English keyboard.
To find out more, click here:
News Release December 15, 2010Download the apps for free from the iTunes store:
SENĆOŦEN: http://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/id398943185?mt=8
Halq'eméylem http://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/halqemeylem/id398945845?mt=8
Posted: December 8, 2010
Regional Chief of B.C. Assembly of First Nations visits our office
Jody Wilson-Raybould, the Regional Chief of BC Assembly of First Nations came to the First Peoples' Council offices today to talk to us about our work and how she and the Council can work together to share information about the status of First Nations languages.
We have arranged to meet with her office quarterly to provide her with background information on language issues.
"It was a wonderful meeting," said Tracey Herbert, Executive Director at the First Peoples' Council. "We look forward to working with her and will support her to raise the profile of languages with B.C. Chiefs."
From left to right: Dr. Lorna Williams, Chair of the First Peoples' Council; Jody Wilson-Raybould, Regional Chief of B.C. Assembly of First Nations; Tracey Herbert, Executive Director of the First Peoples' Council; Deanna Daniels, Language Programs Coordinator.
Posted: August 24, 2010
Master-Apprentice: In Their Own Words
To help create new First Nations language speakers, the First Peoples' Heritage, Language and Culture Council developed the Master-Apprentice Program. Over this three-year program, Elders are paired with committed learners in an immersion environment on the home and land.
At a recent conference, we caught up with some of the Master-Apprentice teams to talk about the program and their experiences with it. Here is the result:
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Posted: June 17, 2010
Inspiring Stories Focus the Lens on Need to Preserve B.C.’s First Nations Languages
First Peoples' partnered with Knowledge to create Our First Voices, a documentary that celebrates 15 of B.C.’s First Nations languages and pays tribute to the drive to preserve and revitalize all 32 B.C. First Nations languages for future generations.
It premieres at 7:30 pm on June 21 (National Aboriginal Day) on Knowledge in B.C. (repeating June 29 at 10:30 pm)
It will also be available online at Knowledge.ca.
Click here to read the press release.
Click here to see photos from the official launch party.
Posted: April 30, 2010
2010 Report on the Status of B.C. First Nations Languages Released Today
The First Peoples' Council launched a report today that reveals the troubling state of B.C.'s First Nations languages.
The report finds that:
- Fluent First Nations language speakers make up a small and shrinking minority of the B.C. First Nations population
- 8 languages are severely endangered and 22 are nearly extinct
- Most fluent speakers are over 65
