Mission Statement

Language and culture: too important to risk extinction.

A strong language is fundamental to a strong identity. It is vital for the promotion of tolerance, understanding and good relations, and for culture to flourish. It supports the dignity and aspirations of peoples and individuals. For the first peoples of British Columbia, language is the foundation for oral stories to relay their history and the traditional laws and practices which are written on the hearts of their children.

For all these reasons and more, promotion and preservation of the rich and diverse languages of the first peoples in British Columbia, and the heritage and culture they represent, are important to all Canadians. But the number of speakers is diminishing yearly, and many of the first peoples' languages in British Columbia are at risk of extinction.

We are engaged in a race against time to ensure those languages form a vibrant, living part of British Columbia's future. The primary mission of the First Peoples' Cultural Foundation is to increase public awareness of this challenge and to fundraise to support first peoples' languages, heritage and culture: before it's too late.