If you ever have wanted to know how to say “hello” in the language of First Nations, then the Trail museum is ready to help.
You might even find yourself expanding your vocabulary — and appreciation for the state of Indigenous languages spoken in B.C. — after visiting the Trail Museum and Archives to view the travelling exhibition titled, “Our Living Languages: First Peoples’ Voices in BC.”
Learn what First Nations communities throughout the province are doing to help 34 different languages survive and flourish, in “Our Living Languages.” The showcase is a beautifully designed exhibit from the Royal BC Museum and First Peoples’ Cultural Council that celebrates the resilience and diversity of Indigenous languages in the face of change.
“This exhibit is beyond enlightening,” says Sarah Benson-Lord, Trail museum and archives manager. “This glimpse into Indigenous language loss and its revitalization will prompt anyone to want to learn more about Indigenous cultures. We hope this exhibit generates much more awareness into local and regional Indigenous initiatives, challenges, and even allyship.”
Languages, especially the languages we grow up with, are powerful and potent markers of identity and culture.
B.C., one of the planet’s most linguistically diverse regions, is known as a linguistic ‘hotspot’ because of the diversity and vitality of the First Nations languages in B.C.
Through interactive stations, video and audio, “Our Living Languages” provides visitors with the opportunity to learn more about the history of disrupted languages in B.C., the complexity of these languages, the people, and entire communities, that are working tirelessly to document and revitalize them.
The original exhibition of the same name was developed in partnership with the First Peoples’ Cultural Council and is a permanent fixture on the third floor of the Royal BC Museum, in Victoria.
The travelling exhibition runs now and until May 30, 2022 at the museum, housed in the Riverfront Centre.
Read more: Take a tour of the Trail museum
Read more: Protecting and preserving Trail history
About the Trail Museum and Archives
Opened in April 2018, the Trail Museum and Archives exhibits, interprets and manages the collections of the Trail Historical Society from the Riverfront Centre in downtown Trail. Three dedicated galleries depict the social and cultural heritage of this industrial West Kootenay, known for its sports legacies and industrious roots. The museum and archives are integrated with the Trail and District Public Library in the city-owned Riverfront Centre. The facility operates on the territory of the Sinixt Peoples.
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