First Peoples Cultural Foundation: Generating Support for Aboriginal Languages

The First Peoples' Cultural Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that generates support to raise awareness and funding for the revitalization of Aboriginal language and arts. The Foundation works with its sister organization, the First Peoples' Heritage, Language and Culture Council to ensure fair and equal access to arts, culture and language funding for communities across B.C.

The need for funds to assist with language revitalization is great.

According to the 2010 Report on the Status of B.C. First Nations languages in B.C. released by the First Peoples' Heritage, Language and Culture Council:

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 the age of 65
The majority of classroom teaching is insufficient to create enough new fluent speakers to revitalize languages

It's time to act now for B.C.'s First Nations languages!
Click on the links at left for more information about the organization and its programs. Click here to donate to this important cause. Click here to access the First Peoples' Language Map of British Columbia, produced by the First Peoples' Heritage, Language and Culture Council.

Contact the First Peoples' Cultural Foundation
1A Boat Ramp Road
Brentwood Bay, BC V8M 1N9 Canada
tel: (250) 652-5952
fax: (250) 652-5953
Email:

Posted: April 16,2010

Important Update: Aboriginal Languages Program

The Aboriginal Languages Initiative (ALI) is a federal program funded by the Department of Canadian Heritage. It provides funding support for community and regionally based projects directed at maintaining, revitalizing and promoting First Nations languages.

Applications now available!!

Application Deadline: June 11, 2010, 4:30 PM

Previously, our sister organization, the First Peoples' Heritage, Language and Culture Council (the First Peoples' Council) was the regional delivery agent for ALI funding in B.C., but beginning this year, we will now receive and distribute ALI funding and the First Peoples' Council will administer it.

Despite the change in delivery, the ALI application process remains similar except applicants will now download applications and reporting forms from this website.

if you have any questions contact the Language Program staff. Please email your inquiries to:

Deanna Daniels, Language Program Manager (deanna@fphlcc.ca), or

Sharlene Frank, Language Programs Assistant (sharlene@fphlcc.ca).

Our two organizations look forward to working with community partners to revitalize B.C. languages. Our languages are valuable and important to all of us.