University of Northern B.C. to offer bachelor’s degree in Nisga’a language

PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. – A new bachelor of arts degree in Nisga’a language fluency will be offered starting next September at the University of Northern British Columbia.

A statement from the university says the four-year undergraduate degree is the first of its kind in northern B.C. and will give students an immersive education with about 70 per cent of the courses having a Nisga’a component.

The Nisga’a people, who live in the Nass Valley in the northwestern part of the province, were the first to sign a modern treaty in B.C. in a landmark agreement that came into effect in May 2000.

The university is teaming up with the Wilp Wilxo’oskwhl Nisga’a Institute, an Aboriginal post-secondary facility in the Nass Valley, where certificate and diploma programs in the Nisga’a language are already offered.

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Institute CEO Deanna Nyce says it’s exciting to witness students becoming fluent and using their language skills in public.

The statement says the four-year undergraduate degree will help ensure the long-term vitality of the Nisga’a language.

B.C. Minister of Post-Secondary Education Selina Robinson says investing in such programs is critical for strengthening Indigenous language revitalization, while moving toward meaningful reconciliation.

“Together, we are creating a province where Indigenous students, and through them their communities, can reconnect with their language as a way to reclaim their history and culture and reach their full potential.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 18, 2023.