The University of Victoria's first Indigenous Language Revitalization Awards are rolling out over the fall to support students from nine south Island First Nations with the goal of reinvigorating local Indigenous languages.

Throughout September, UVic welcomed the first cohort of Indigenous students to receive financial assistance for entering or continuing specific Indigenous language programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

"These new Indigenous Language Revitalization Awards are incredibly meaningful to First Nations peoples. In W瘫S脕NE膯, we are deeply committed to language revitalization and deliver recurring undergraduate programming that supports our SEN膯O纽EN immersion stream of programming at LAU,WELNEW Elementary School and the W瘫S脕NE膯 Leadership Secondary School,B次元官网网址� says Kendra Underwood, director of W瘫S脕NE膯 College, in a news release.

UVic says by offering the award, they are taking steps towards supporting the linguistic and cultural heritage of local Indigenous communities, and it's part of their commitment to uphold respectful and reciprocal relationships with Indigenous communities.

B次元官网网址淭hese Indigenous Language Awards strengthen our ability to provide SEN膯O纽EN programming at W瘫S脕NE膯 College each year without the concern of potential financial barriers occurring for students who are engaged in becoming proficient speakers of our sacred language," noted Underwood.