Announcements – April 2024
Food is Medicine: The First Nations Health Authority published The Common Language Report and accompanying Toolkit. Find it and more here.
Food is Medicine: Taking a pause to listen to the sounds of community, food and wellness. March 13, 2024. Food is central to our daily lives. It is sustenance, culture, medicine, connection, and much more. The language we use when talking about food varies tremendously and the words we use hold meaning and create pathways to shared understanding. English words have limitations because they come from a dominant colonial worldview. When we establish a shared understanding that is centered on Elders and Knowledge Holders perspectives of the words, or a common language, we allow the true meaning behind those words to become visible. The First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) recently published the Common Language Report and its accompanying Toolkit, which dives deep into the language we use and the values we hold when discussing topics surrounding food: food security, nutrition, medicine, and traditional foods. Please take the time to read through those documents. “Food is Medicine” requires us to slow down and notice where our food comes from. It is an opportunity to wait for the proper foods to be harvested during the proper season; and to learn from the cycles of nature around us; to listen to the foods, lands and waters on what they need from us. Integrating these teachings into our lives and our rituals is a powerful way to practice “Food is Medicine”. We invite you around the table that has been created, and encourage you continue to nurture and honor your own table in your communities, nations and families.
VIU students Kimberly Baines and Jesse Scott-Bradley host show. Indigenous Echoes, with hosts Kimberly Baines and Jesse Scott-Bradley, is a new radio show which celebrates and encourages the revitalization of Indigenous languages. Season One will begin broadcasting next month (march) on CHLY 101.7 FM in Nanaimo. Episodes in the show explore the relationship between language and culture, and what happens when an individual feels close ties to their culture but does not know that culture’s language. Season two of Indigenous Echoes is currently in pre-production.
The First Nations Technology Council presents the first annual Amplify Awards! In spring 2025, FNTC will recognize industry leaders in Truth and Reconciliation, and Indigenous businesses, communities, or entrepreneurs who are driving digital transformation and technological innovation.
First Peoples’ Cultural Foundation Engagement Survey. For the past 20+ years, we’ve built meaningful relationships with funders and partners around the world who are uplifting the work of communities, but we feel there is still room to learn about you – our donors, supporters, and subscribers and ensure our communications and engagement are resonating with all in our ecosystem. We welcome your engagement in this short survey, all who participate will have the option of receiving a small gift of appreciation from our team. Thank you for joining us on this journey towards uplifting Indigenous languages, arts, and cultural heritage!
Unveiling the Royal BC Museum PARC Campus: Provincial Archives, Research, and Collections. The Royal BC Museum is excited to announce the name of its new facility: Royal BC Museum PARC Campus (Provincial Archives, Research, and Collections). The name came together through consultation with staff at the museum to reflect the multifaceted work the teams will undertake at this state-of-the-art facility. The Royal BC Museum PARC Campus is located on lək̓ʷəŋən (Lekwungen) Territory, in an area known today as Royal Bay in Colwood B.C. The project has been developed in close partnership with the Territory’s host Nations –Songhees and Esquimalt Nations, ensuring a harmonious relationship throughout the project. Once complete, the Royal BC Museum PARC Campus will serve as a secure repository for the province’s vast collections and BC Archives. Beyond its role as a storage facility, it will emerge as a dynamic learning space enhancing accessibility to the rich cultural heritage for the people of British Columbia.
Seeking Industry Input for the Future of Amplify BC. Survey. On April 19, 2023, the Province of BC announced $22.5 million for Amplify BC, extending the Province’s music funding programs until 2027. This funding will build the province’s music talent and infrastructure, and strengthen the sector to better weather global shifts, making it more competitive and sustainable in the years ahead. Creative BC continues to adapt Amplify BC programs each year to meet the needs of B.C.’s music industry. We invite you to provide your feedback, and inform the evolution of Amplify BC over the next three years. Creative BC welcomes a wide range of perspectives, including people from all regions of B.C., and from groups that face barriers to participation.
FPCC celebrates 20 years of FirstVoices– check out the new design, logo and new features!
International Decade of Indigenous Languages
The Global Task Force for Making a Decade of Action for Indigenous Languages was officially launched by UNESCO with participation of Member States, indigenous peoples’ organizations, three-party United Nations mechanisms, the United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
· September 2023. Assembly of First Nations. First Nations National Action Plan for the United Nations International Decade of Indigenous Languages.
· April 22, 2022. Canadian Launch of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages. https://rcgs.org/indigenous-languages/
· March 17, 2022. FPCC website for Decade of Indigenous Languages. https://fpcc.ca/stories/the-decade-of-indigenous-languages/
· November 16, 2021. Read the Global Action Plan: https://en.unesco.org/idil2022-2032/globalactionplan
· OFFICIAL WEBSITE: https://idil2022-2032.org/