Connecting Canadian Communities
By partnering with the Community Broadcasters Foundation of Canada you support the Canadian identity; you help local broadcasters uplift Canadian content, amplify Canadian voices and strengthen communities.You help ensure the protection of local dialogue and access to integral information. You help preserve and celebrate culture and heritage. You help build capacity and sustainability through technology, training, programming and economic development. And, you help empower a national network of local voices for the well-being of our country.
THE LIVING LANGUAGES PROJECT
Language is the basis of culture. Beyond communication, it affords people the ability to share understanding, develop beliefs, record history and think ahead to the future; it forms community. The Living Languages Project would be educational programming shared via FM broadcast, driven and created by the Indigenous community while leveraging the reach of both Indigenous and community broadcasters. Each episode would blend formal language education with traditional storytelling.
Words and Culture
Words and Culture is a first of its kind in Canada. Led by Kim Wheeler (Mohawk/Anishinaabe), this will be Canada’s first series focussed on all original content examining Indigenous languages, created by an all Indigenous production team. Working with Sirius XM, and the Community Radio Fund of Canada, the CBF is proud to support the creation and development of this program. The first season will air throughout 2024 featuring Kanien’kéha (Mohawk), Anishinaabemowin (Ojibway), Inuktitut, Cree, and Athabaskan Language Group including South Tutchone (NWT), and be hosted by learners of the language. The program will be available on community, Indigenous, and campus stations across the country. You can also hear the program on the Sirius XM “The Indigiverse” (Channel 165).
The programs will also be available as a podcast and will be supported by online learning modules.
We hope to build on our existing relationship with Sirius XM to ensure the program is continued, but additional partners would simply amplify this impact. Funding that goes to the Community Broadcasters Foundation of Canada will support the development and expansion of our support for these key projects.
Amplifying Voices
This program was designed to empower Indigenous radio broadcasters and the communities that support them to expand and to amplify the critical language programming that so many are already producing. So many of the 55 type “B” licensed stations have already begun to leverage the power of their microphone to bridge the gap between those who speak the language and those who want to learn. Under the Amplifying Voices program, these stations will be able to apply for up to $20 000 dollars per station to take the important work they are already doing for their community to the next level.
The CBFC is extremely grateful to our partners Suncor Energy Foundation and Inspirit for the support they have provided for this important initiative. Under the existing program we will be able to provide support to as many as 15 of the 55 stations who need this funding. Support for the CBFC will allow us to expand the scope of this program to ensure that more communities and their broadcasters have the support they need to ensure the first languages of this country are not only preserved, but also amplified.