This week, the First Peoples’ Cultural Council (FPCC) launched the First Peoples’ Map, the first interactive map in Canada featuring info about the diverse and living Indigenous languages, arts, and rich cultures in B.C.

The online platform is the only map of its kind. 

As a living map, it uniquely weaves together updated content from community experts who are deeply invested in the work of Indigenous linguistic, artistic and cultural survival across B.C. 

The user-friendly map is accessible online or on mobile at maps.fpcc.ca. 

People can refer to it to learn more about the 34 First Nations languages spoken across the province, hear greetings and pronunciations of place names, find local Indigenous artists and public art, search important landmarks and cultural centres, explore cultural information, videos, images, and more.

If you’ve ever wondered what it means, to make a territory acknowledgement at the opening of a meeting or gathering, this map helps flesh that out… It means that this land is rich in stories and relationships, and it behooves us to honour them.

One could spend many hours exploring… learning things like, the name of what is commonly called Pemberton Creek, is Skenkanem. The map is rich in names, stories, relationships, and includes prononciations.

Check it out. Maybe, one way you can honour the Lil’wat7ul, or the people on whose territory you might travel this summer, is by learning their names and the language they speak. It feels like my connection to this place deepens when I can look up at Mt Currie and whisper to myself, Tz’sil, that means rocks falling down.