Our Living Languages: First Peoples’ Voices in British Columbia

Our Living Languages: First Peoples’ Voices in British Columbia invites viewers to learn more about Indigenous languages in BC through this award-winning, interactive exhibition. 

In honour of the United Nations International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022-2032), Our Living Languages provides visitors with the opportunity to learn more about the history of disrupted languages in BC, the complexity of these languages, and the people—and entire communities—that are working tirelessly to document and revitalize them.

Learn what First Nations communities throughout the province are doing to help their languages survive and flourish in this beautifully designed exhibition that celebrates the resilience and diversity of First Nations languages in the face of change.

In 2015, the Royal BC Museum and First Peoples Cultural Council won the American Alliance of Museums Excellence in Exhibition Competition for Our Living Languages. The exhibition was one of only four—of the 37 entries submitted by some of the world’s most innovative and progressive museums—to receive this annual award.

The original feature exhibition was developed in partnership with the First Peoples’ Cultural Council in 2014 and celebrates the resilience and diversity of Indigenous languages in British Columbia. It is now a permanent fixture at the Royal BC Museum in Victoria, while the travelling version is currently being shown in venues around BC.