This summer, Indigenous language experts from around the world will gather in Victoria for the 2019 International Conference on Indigenous Languages.
2019 has been declared by the United Nations as the Year of Indigenous Languages to try and raise awareness of the urgent need to revitalize, preserve, and promote fading languages.
Each of the 60 Indigenous languages in Canada are considered endangered.
Of those 60 languages, 34 originate in British Columbia, though only 3 percent of First Nations in the province consider themselves fluent in their native tongue.
Set to be held in the Victoria Conference Centre from June 24th to the 26th, the event will feature workshops, immersion training, archival training, and more.
The event is being put on by the First Peoples’ Cultural Foundation, the First Peoples’ Cultural Council, and the Canadian Commission for UNESCO.
