Indigenous language revitalization investments paying off in B.C., report finds

An exhibit at the 2019 International Conference on indigenous Languages, held June 24-26 at the Victoria Convention Centre, shows pronunciations of common Indigenous characters. June 24, 2019. (CTV Vancouver Island)

There has been "remarkable growth" in the number of Indigenous people in B.C. who are learning their languages, according to a new report.

The 2022 edition of the First Peoples’ Cultural Council’s Report on the Status of B.C. First Nations Languages was released Tuesday and found that "unprecedented" investments in language revitalization since the last report in 2018 have created more opportunities for teaching and learning. The number of "learning nests" that offer immersion for the youngest children has tripled and there has been an expansion of full-time adult programs, one-on-one mentorships, and online options.

"Elders say to me that our languages are part of our souls, our DNA," Tracy Herbert, a member of the St'uxwtéws Bonaparte First Nation and the council's CEO, told CTV News.

"It's a birthright, it's not a privilege. It's a birthright that we all should have access to … Many of us now, we don't have speakers in our families. That natural transfer of language and Indigenous knowledge can't happen anymore. We have to go outside our families and we need these opportunities, we need support to have access to these opportunities."

Since the last report, the number of fluent speakers has dropped from 4,132 to 3,370, but the number of learners has increased by more than 20 per cent – from 13,997 to 17,103.

The decline in fluent speakers, the council notes, is largely driven by the deaths of Elders. The 2020 report shows that 61.9 per cent of fluent speakers are over 65. Conversely, 67.4 per cent of language learners are under 25.

Herbert says the uptake in learning among younger people is something new.

"I've been doing this work for a long time and mostly I've been working with people in their 60s and 70s, so it's really great to see the younger generation with passion and excitement for languages sort of stepping up and taking on the responsibility of learning the language and passing it on," she says.

PROGRESS COMES AMID 'UNPARALLELED' CHALLENGES

The report also notes that progress on language revitalization has been challenging over the last few years.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted learning opportunities, limiting chances for in-person immersion programs. Transitioning to online teaching and learning was complicated by the fact that communities don't have access to high-speed or reliable internet access.

"In addition to the challenges presented by social gathering restrictions, many communities were hit hard by illness. Numerous cherished Elders, including those who were fluent speakers, passed on," the report says.

Disastrous wildfires and floods also forced the evacuation of First Nations communities, damaged infrastructure and cut off major transportation routes.

"These unparalleled events have had a detrimental effect on language revitalization efforts over the last three years," the report says.

"The fact that work was able to continue in many places, and that we have seen an increase in learners despite these challenges, is a testament to the resilience and perseverance of First Nations community members."

MORE PARENTS TEACHING CHILDREN AT HOME 

For Herbert, one of the most encouraging things to come out of this year's report was the stories of parents who are teaching their languages to their children at home.

"It's really rebuilding the natural systems in our families where the transfer of our mother tongue languages has been disrupted. I think it's a wonderful example of the commitment that B.C. First Nations parents have to their languages, and their stories are really inspirational," she says.

"The fact that it's being passed down in the home is one of the key measures of language vitality. This is just starting to happen in pockets, but ideally, we would see a high percentage of parents working towards learning their language and then passing that language on to their children."

While the momentum in language revitalization is encouraging, Herbert says more stable funding is needed to sustain it. A project-based funding model means programs that are started risk an uncertain future.

"What we're really looking at is moving away from projects, moving towards long-term revitalization plans and funding those plans."