Indigenous Languages Program
Marianne Ignace appointed to Order of British Columbia
Congratulations to Distinguished SFU Professor Marianne Ignace for being appointed to the Order of British Columbia. This honour recognizes citizens of BC who have excelled in a field that benefits the people of British Columbia and beyond. It is the highest form of recognition that the Province of British Columbia can bestow. Dr. Marianne Ignace was featured on CBC Radio’s Daybreak Kamloops with Shelley Joyce on August 10, 2026. You can listen to the segment, titled “Secwépemc language revitalization earns one of B.C.’s highest honours,” by following this link.
From the announcement
Dr. Marianne Ignace (Gulḵiihlgad) is a Distinguished Professor at Simon Fraser University and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada whose career has been dedicated to revitalizing Indigenous languages, advancing reconciliation, and strengthening cultural heritage. For more than three decades, she has built lasting partnerships with Indigenous communities, including a landmark SFU–Secwépemc Nation program that delivered extensive education opportunities and graduated hundreds of First Nations students.
A leading advocate for Indigenous data sovereignty, she helped reshape research ethics by promoting community ownership of oral histories and knowledge. Her work includes developing culturally grounded learning resources in multiple Indigenous languages and leading a major multi-partner initiative to document and revitalize languages across B.C., the Yukon, and Alaska.
Through scholarship, policy influence, and community collaboration, she has made enduring contributions to education, language revitalization, and land stewardship that continue to benefit Indigenous peoples and society as a whole.
