BC's Indigenous Language Funds Won't Deliver Long-Term Results

Image courtesy Province of BC

Since 2018, the BC government has invested over $113 million in efforts to revitalize indigenous languages through the First Peoples’ Cultural Council (FPCC) and First Peoples’ Cultural Foundation (FPCF). The goal: to reverse the damage caused by colonization. While these efforts are widely supported, questions remain about whether these taxpayer dollars are yielding the desired outcomes. 

Both the BC government and the FPCC report growth in indigenous language revitalization, but the metrics they emphasize reflect different timeframes and aspects of progress. The BC government highlights a 20 percent increase in language learners since 2018, while the FPCC reports a 40 percent rise in learners over a longer period, starting from 2010. This difference in timelines can create confusion when assessing the full impact of revitalization efforts.

Additionally, while statistics like number of learners and immersion hours are easy to track, they fail to answer key questions: Are these learners becoming fluent? Are these programs creating intergenerational language transmission within families? Without such outcomes, the long-term impact of the revitalization efforts remain uncertain. 

Beyond the numbers, the financial sustainability of these programs has been a concern from the outset. Federal funding through the Indigenous Languages and Cultures Program is set to drop by 56 percent in 2024-25, potentially threatening over 60 language programs nationwide. With revitalization costs expected to balloon to $2 billion annually by 2032, it raises questions about whether the initial funding model was ever sufficient to meet long-term goals. Without a clear plan from the government to address this growing financial gap, key programs may face cuts, potentially undermining long-term revitalization efforts and making earlier investments appear shortsighted.

Moreover, while the FPCC provides annual reports to ensure transparency, the Regional Allocation Formula used to distribute funds was created without input from First Nations communities. This has led to inequalities in how resources are distributed, with some communities potentially being left underfunded.

While the commitment to indigenous language revitalization is considered by many to be a great cause, the government must do more to ensure taxpayer dollars are used to produce lasting, meaningful results.