Language and Culture

Like a giant cedar tree cut down, the passing of Ditidaht elder Michael Thompson (Kwiibaalaah) this summer left a mark on the Nuu-chah-nulth landscape, leaving the younger generation with less. Thompson was the lone fluent speaker of the diitiidʔaaʔtx̣ (Ditidaht) dialect. He was born in the village of Waaya, B.C. on September 13, 1932, and passed away on July 13, 2026, in Ditidaht’s main village of Balaats’adt on Nitinaht Lake. “With the last speaker going means that our children and grandchildren won’t hear actual fluent speech,” said Dr. Bernice Touchie.

The B.C. Geographical Names Office (BCGNO) has officially rescinded the name "Trutch" from four locations across the province due to the name's racist legacy.

"Spasketti," is a word that may sound silly to someone else's family. Turns out, the term for this is "familect," and every family has one.

Advocates say cultural programming can help young Indigenous girls to build strong relationships, leadership skills and a sense of belonging, so they feel valued and seen.

Motorola has announced a new app that will help preserve Indigenous languages like Ojibwe, and make smartphone technology accessible.

Growing interest in African languages is creating new business opportunities as people in the diaspora seek to connect with their relatives and roots

Rolled into more than a dozen giant cylinders in Vancouver artist Hinda Avery’s basement studio are nine-foot-by-six-foot paintings of grinning, elderly Jewish women in garish dresses and bikinis, toting automatic rifles through scenes inspired by the Holocaust, casually and crudely plotting Hitler’s demise.

Teachers should capitalize on opportunities for oral language development through play in French immersion instruction.

NaijaFest brought Nigerian culture to the Lower Mainland with two days of music, food, dance, fashion and community events. Hosted by the Nigerian-Canadian Association of British Columbia, the annual festival gives people a chance to experience Nigerian traditions in B.C.

A visitor participates in a mahjong-themed activity during the Chinatown Festival in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, July 25, 2026. The two-day cultural festival kicked off here on Saturday, celebrating the heritage of Vancouver's historic Chinatown with traditional cultural performances, local food vendors and family-friendly activities.

The artist behind a massive design that will soon be a key feature of an iconic Winnipeg facade says she's making a statement about Métis resilience.

This fall, local Hibernophiles—people obsessed with Ireland—will have a new hub. The Corleck, a waterfront arts centre specializing in Irish culture, will open its doors in November, with a promising agenda of theatre performances and events—plus, one assumes, a high concentration of mellifluous accents.

A new mural at a Prince George housing project reflects Carrier Sekani culture and the local landscape. Created with Indigenous youth, the work is meant to make the new multi-age building feel welcoming, culturally grounded and like home.

When the beloved Quebec version of the iconic American animated series was cancelled last year, fans rallied to bring it back, not simply because they loved the show, but because they saw Les Simpson as a reflection of what it means to be Québécois.

'Long before I ever worked on this show, I was one of the kids watching it,' broadcaster says

Camden Scribe, a 15-year-old traditional dancer from Saskatchewan, will travel to Stockholm next week to accept a Young Courage Award from the Raoul Wallenberg Academy.

Wi Deh'ya was created by two St. Catharines, Ont., friends Lorenzo Evans and Tyrell MacLennan to create a space for second-generation Caribbean Canadians.

Vendors happy to be back in Hawrelak Park but many say pavilions need more parking space next year

A fishing boat passes by, as hundreds show up for the opening of the Ucluelet Japanese Canadian History Pavilion at Imperial Lane and Matterson Drive in Ucluelet. 

“Folklorama is about cultural transmission. It celebrates the languages, traditions, and identities of many communities that now call Manitoba home. That legacy of sharing and appreciation is what continues to make this festival so meaningful,” she said, after noting that Folklorama is the world’s largest and longest-running festival of its kind.

From ’80s Hollywood to big tech today, Washington has always treated Canadian cultural protections as trade barriers

A new Marvel video game puts Wolverine in some familiar B.C. locations — while featuring Indigenous language in a nod to the Squamish Nation.

The costumers for North of North Season 2 pair the slow fashion of traditional Inuit parkas and furs with patterns, textures and colours that 'pop' against the white Arctic backdrop.

Patients who talk with their doctors in the same language they use at home generally tend to live longer, suggests a recent study by researchers at the University of Ottawa and the University of Manitoba.

It’s a sport that involves flying down a dirt track on the bare back of a thoroughbred horse, and it’s gaining ground across the country. As Lexi Freehill shows us from Onion Lake Cree Nation, it’s much more than high-speed horses and intense exchanges. It’s a connection to culture.