The Carrier language will expand into B.C.

A recently signed agreement will allow the Carrier Language to be expanded in British Columbia. The College of New Caledonia and the University of Northern British Columbia will be working with the Lake Babine Nation to implement a Carrier language program this fall.
UNBC was officially opened in 1994 in Prince George, with course offerings across northern B.C. Its total enrollment is over 4,000 students. The College of New Caledonia has been operating in B.C.'s Interior since the 1960's. The average annual enrollment is approximately 5,000 students.
Located in the geographical centre of B.C., Lake Babine First Nation is one of over 20 Carrier speaking First Nations.
Students completing the program will be eligible for certification by the B.C. College of Teachers.
"This will enable them to teach the Carrier language in local schools," said Monty Palmantier, education co-ordinator at Lake Babine Nation. While there have been various language programs at some facilities such as day cares, this program will allow for increased language instruction. "One of the things we are moving toward," he said, "is having teaching at the younger grade-school levels."
The program has the support of the community. "Education is vital for the preservation of our language and culture, and this new partnership is an exciting development for the Lake Babine Nation," said Chief Betty Patrick.
A signing ceremony was held on Feb. 7, with participation from Chief Patrick, UNBC President Don Cozzetto and CNC Vice-President Academic Lynn Jacques.
The program will be taught at the CNC campus in Burns Lake as well as in classrooms within the Lake Babine Nation. This is the first time that UNBC has offered a complete program in Burns Lake.
The First Nations Language program has been delivered in a number of communities throughout northern BC. In Fort St. James (Nakazdli in the Carrier language), Carrier has been taught since 2006.
Other languages taught are Gitksan in Hazelton, Nisga'a in New Aiyansh, and Smalgyax (spoken by the Tsimshian Nation) in Prince Rupert.
The UNBC program is based on efforts by the Gitksan in Hazelton to keep their language. "In the 1990's, they did an objective analysis of the state of their language," reports Rob van Adrichem, director of media and public relations at UNBC.
"They estimated that if nothing was done, the language would be effectively extinct by 2014, based on the age of the speakers. It was then that the community and the University began to work together to give them the Certificates that the B.C. College of Teachers would recognize."
The enrollment is expected to be about 25 students. They will be taught by instructors from the CNC, UNBC, and the Lake Babine Nation. This is one of the important features of the program.
"All of the programs," said van Adrichem, "feature local speakers of the language, who don't have university credentials, but the university is recognizing their expertise. That's why it's a partnership; the community tells us who the experts are, and UNBC provides the credentials. If the community thinks it's important, then it's up to UNBC to respond."
Students can enroll for different periods of time. One year of classes will earn the student a certificate in the Carrier language. Two years will give them a Diploma, and those who complete three years will be eligible for certification as teachers with the B.C. College of Teachers upon completion of the two year Bachelor of Education degree program. Those without the B.Ed. will be able to teach only the language, not other subjects.
While many First Nation languages have been lost, the state of the Carrier language is viable. However, most of the fluent speakers were born before the mid- 1970's.
According to INAC research published on its Web site in 2004, as of 1996 the Carrier language was classified as "viable but spoken by a small population of more than 1,000 speakers and spoken in isolated and/or well-organized communities with strong self-awareness." At that time there were 2,190 people speaking the language. However, the language was still viable, since even languages spoken by less people can survive if "sufficient community interest and concerted educational programs are present."