British Columbia First Nations Embrace Technology to Support
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newsfirst peoples’ spring /summer 2011 first peoples’ heritage, language & culture council IN THIS ISSUE British Columbia First Nations 3 Heritage Toolkit Helps Fulfill First Peoples’ Council EMBRACE TECHNOLOGY TO Mandate SUPPORT LANGUAGE LEARNING 4 China and B.C. First Nations Partner to Save Indigenous The wisdom, words and phrases of two through the SENC´OT¯EN archive to find Languages in Both Countries B.C. First Nations languages can now be the word—SEPLIL—as well as hear heard using an iPhone and iPod touch. how it’s pronounced and see a picture. 5 Conversation with a Language Developed as a mobile extension of lan- You can also take your own picture Champion: Mandy Na’zinek guage collections archived by First Nations and include that as the image in your Jimmie communities at FirstVoices.com, the personal dictionary.” first two prototype apps feature the For Thelma Wenman, coordinator 6 Young First Nations SENC´OT¯EN language of Southern Vancou- of the Sto:lo Shxweli Halq’eméylem Filmmakers Celebrate B.C.’s ver Island and the Halq’eméylem language Program, the appeal of FirstVoices Mobile Indigenous Languages of the Sto:lo Nation in the Fraser Valley. is its convenience and accessibility for Funding from the New Relationship language students. 8 Former AADA Recipient Gives Trust will give a further nine First Nations “Our language is taught at board- Back by Mentoring a Young Artist languages the opportunity to build their own operated schools, head-start programs, mobile dictionary. The new languages to be public schools and local universities,” 9 New Master-Apprentice Team included are Lil’wat, Sliammon, Tsilhqot’in, she says. “The app makes it easier for Embraces Opportunity to Learn Ehattesaht Nuchatlaht, Dakelh/Southern Continued next page… the Nisga’a Language Carrier, Nisga’a, Northern St´át´imcets, Ktunaxa and Kwak’wala. 10 Bringing Our Languages FirstVoices Mobile provides First Na- Back from the Brink tions dictionaries and phrase collections with audio recordings, images and videos that users can customize to make each en- try their own. It also includes specially de- veloped touch-screen keyboards that use the unique characters of a First Nations language, as well an English keyboard. The apps allow users to customize their dictionaries. “Let’s say you want to look up the SENC´OT¯EN word for bread,” says Peter Brand, FirstVoices coordinator. “You can search for it in English or scroll FPCC News_2011_v10.indd 1 2011-Mar-11 4:02 PM Continued from previous page… congratulations to the language champions behind the northern st´át´imcets John Elliott (STOLC/ E¯I_) talks to a group about FirstVoices. firstvoices archive! students to continue on with their stud- people and people away from the com- Their archive has reached the pro- ies. They can download it and study the munity,” says STOLC/ EI_. “There are not ¯ lific benchmark of 5,000 words and language wherever they are.” enough Elders to go around so it’s 2,000 phrases and is now the largest Fostering young language learners is important that everyone has access to on FirstVoices. The community will vital when you consider that each year, their voices.” be receiving an iPod Touch from the fluent Elders pass away. FirstVoices Mobile was developed by First Peoples’ Council to acknowledge “When Elders die, there goes our lan- the First Peoples’ Council with funding their efforts. To visit the Northern guage as well,” says Thelma. from the First Peoples’ Cultural Founda- St´át´imcets archive and other First Na- John Elliott (STOLC/ EI_) is a SENC´OTEN tion. The Foundation provides funding ¯ ¯ tions language archives, go to www. language teacher at the L_ÁU,WELN_EW_ to B.C. First Nations communities in the firstvoices.com. Tribal School and another strong advocate areas of language, arts and culture. for the use of technology in language learn- From the Northern St´át´imcets ing. His late father, Dave Elliott was the Download the apps for free from the archive: Áma nscwákekwmíntsina. creator of the SENC´OTEN orthography and iTunes store: ¯ Congratulations! I’m glad for you! the first SENC´OT¯EN dictionary. STOLC/ EI¯_ ´ continued his father’s language revitaliza- SENCOT¯EN: http://itunes.apple.com/ca/ tion legacy, creating FirstVoices.com along app/id398943185?mt=8 with Peter Brand; he was also instrumental Halq’eméylem : http://itunes.apple.com/ca/ in the creation of the SENC´OT¯EN app. app/halqemeylem/id398945845?mt=8 “This is especially important for young 2 FPCC News_2011_v10.indd 2 2011-Mar-11 4:02 PM Heritage Toolkit Helps FULFILL FIRST PEOPLES’ COUNCIL MANDATE Meet Carla Jack, a member of the says Carla. “For First Nations, the tan- prevent a huge amount of waste from Penelakut Tribe and a linguistics ma- gible and intangible are almost always ending up in landfills, and can protect our jor from the University of Victoria who connected—for example, the best fish- green spaces by reducing the need for new worked as an intern at the First Peoples’ ing spot is tangible, but knowing where buildings.” Council through the Aboriginal Youth it is and the protocols to follow to fish Internship Program. As part of her intern- there are intangible.” The Heritage Toolkit also includes a glossary ship, Carla developed resources to help of heritage terms and a database of heritage fulfill the heritage portion of the Council’s Heritage and sustainability contacts, publications and funding programs. mandate. “As the architect, Carl Elefante said, ‘the “Heritage is important to First Nations greenest building is the one already The Heritage Toolkit can be found on the First culture because it encompasses the deep built’,” says Carla. “Through the reuse Peoples’ Council website – connection to the land, the stories from and rehabilitation of buildings, we can www.fphlcc.ca/arts/heritage-toolkit the ancestors, the traditional way of life, the turbulent times and the requirements of modern life,” says Carla. “Through heritage planning and the recognition and documentation of historic places, First Nations can better protect their sites from unwanted development or destruction.” Carla researched existing heritage resources and surveyed First Nations communities, tribal councils and cultural centres to assess their heritage conserva- tion needs. The end result was the Heritage Toolkit, which consists of facts sheets about: How the values of community play a role in heritage conservation “Value-centred management is the con- servation of a historic place based on the values ascribed to it by the commu- nity,” says Carla. “For conservation to be successful, the place must retain its significance and continue to be a useful part of the community.” “Practicing heritage conservation revitalizes our communities and Tangible versus intangible heritage “Tangible heritage refers to physical sites strengthens our sense of identity such as trails, buildings and landscapes, while intangible heritage is knowledge, through honouring our past.” practices and skills such as language, art techniques and harvesting methods,” — Carla Jack 3 FPCC News_2011_v10.indd 3 2011-Mar-11 4:02 PM China and B.C. First Nations Partner to Save INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES IN BOTH COUNTRIES China, much like Canada, is a linguistically meetings how important it is to make and language immersion program models diverse country with many distinct minor- policy recommendations to governments and successes. ity languages at the brink of extinction. to enact change.” They also met with representatives of To help protect one of the most endan- The Qiang, known as “the people of the the provincial and federal governments, gered languages in China—Qiang—the clouds” live in the mountains of the Sich- academics, First Nations-run organiza- First Peoples’ Council recently hosted a uan province in southwestern China and tions, First Nations communities, First delegation of academics, government trace their history back 3,000 years. They Nations leadership, cultural centres and officials, Qiang language experts and were one of the most severely affected schools. They were hosted at Chief Atahm Qiang speakers as part of a unique study groups during the Wenchuan earthquake School, the En’owkin Centre and Spirit tour of British Columbia. The goal of the of May 2008 and lost approximately 10% Ridge. tour, which was funded by the Canadian of their population. “There are so many parallels between International Development Agency, was The earthquake and the subsequent our two countries,” says Tracey. “Sharing to provide information and best practices evacuation of community members models and best practices can only serve on revitalizing First Nations languages further fragmented an already endangered to strengthen indigenous language revital- in B.C. that can be used to make policy language and culture. Over 80% of Qiang ization activities in both countries.” recommendations to help the Qiang people do not speak the Qiang language The project was lead by Geospatial/ language. and it is not used in local government, Salasan Consulting Inc. and funded by the “While the Chinese delegation came to media or schools. Canadian International Development B.C. to learn from us, it was impossible The Chinese/Qiang delegation was wel- Agency (CIDA) and the Government of to not also learn from them,” says Tracey comed to the First Peoples’ Council office China. Herbert, Executive Director at the First in the Tsartlip Nation in Brentwood Bay by Peoples’ Council. “We usually focus on Elders John Elliott, and May and Skip Sam delivering excellent programs and don’t before sitting in on presentations on the focus on policy, but I learned through our use of technology to document languages Qiang language delegation dons Cowichan hats for photo with First Peoples’ staff. “While the Chinese delegation came to B.C. to learn from us, it was impossible to not also learn from them.” —Tracey Herbert, Executive Director, First Peoples' Council 4 FPCC News_2011_v10.indd 4 2011-Mar-11 4:02 PM Conversation with a Language Champion MANDY NA'ZINEK JIMMIE Mandy Jimmie (RIGHT) accepting her “First Na- minister of canadian tions Language Champion” award from Tracey Her- bert (LEFT) Executive Director of the First Peoples’ heritage announces Council.