Engage in language studies, documentation, and revitalization at First Nations and Endangered Languages (FNEL).
Created by former FNEL student Ross Hunt, the artwork depicts an illuminating image of the sun.
Our degree programs and courses introduce you to the study of First Nations languages, including beginner and intermediate courses in hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓. You can also learn language documentation and conservation methodologies, conduct research with speakers of endangered languages, and help develop educational language materials.
In the Bachelor of Arts (BA) major, you can tailor your program with direct studies courses, community collaborations, and other available opportunities to suit your interests and goals.
FNEL values our long-standing partnership with the Musqueam and work closely with them to develop our curriculum and activities, teach our courses, and conduct community research.
Formerly known as First Nations Languages, FNEL was established in 1996 as part of UBC’s commitment to community-based collaboration with First Nations peoples.
British Columbia has an extraordinarily rich linguistic heritage, being the ancestral home of more than half of the Aboriginal languages in Canada. The reality is that 34 of BC’s surviving First Nations languages are critically endangered. The loss of any of these languages would also mean an irreplaceable loss of cultural understanding, intellectual expression, and a vital link to the past.
As a founding unit of the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies (CIS), FNEL honours the importance of First Nations languages and the rich cultural traditions they represent.
At FNEL, we strive to:
- Influence scholarly and public representations of Indigenous languages and cultures within and beyond the academy
- Develop expertise in building and maintaining community-based partnerships that are collaborative, consensus-based, equitable, and grounded in sustained and reciprocal relationships of trust in order to document, conserve and revitalize language
- Design and implement language reclamation and revitalization projects drawing on interdisciplinary methodologies, predicated on community-based consultation, participation, and collaboration
- Provide learning frameworks for the development of fluency in First Nations and endangered languages
Program outcomes
FNEL students graduate with contextually-rich and ethically-situated training in language reclamation and revival.
FNEL offers language courses, including introductory and intermediate courses in hən̓q̓əmin̓əm. By taking a directed studies course, you can also work with a fluent speaker of an endangered language of your choice, with the goal of enhancing oral fluency in that language.
Former FNEL students have also benefitted from learning other First Nations languages, including Cree (Plains Algonquin), Nuu-chah-nulth (Southern Wakashan), Dakelh Dene (Carrier Athapaskan), and more. We are always exploring new language opportunities and partnerships.
You’ll learn methodologies for documenting, conserving, revitalizing, and reclaiming endangered languages in order to help preserve cultures, history, and knowledge systems.
In your FNEL courses, you’ll have the chance to work with First Nations communities through research and resource development projects.
We have strong connections with local Indigenous communities and organizations, and are also involved with international scholarly partnerships around Indigenous language reclamation, resurgence, and revitalization.
What can I do with an FNEL degree?
With a degree in FNEL, you’re equipped to work with Indigenous communities across various sectors of government, non-profit organizations and foundations, and cultural and educational institutions.
Your career options can include, but are not limited to:
- Public policy
- Resource management
- Community development, research, or services
- Arts and culture conservation
- Education and pedagogy
- Academic research
- Fundraising
- Media consulting or production
- Public administration
FNEL students may choose to pursue MA, PhD, or other programs in various areas. As an FNEL major, you have some room to pursue your research interests through directed studies courses, community collaborations, and other available opportunities to help you prepare for further studies.
