World Wide Waves '25: Whispers in the air

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The Nuxalk people of Canada's Pacific north-west were almost wiped out by colonisation. Now a community radio station is reviving their language and culture. Nuxalk Radio came on air 10 years ago, inspired by the indigenous Idle No More movement. For World Radio Day 2025, we celebrate this tiny outfit broadcasting from a trailer in the town of Bella Coola, British Columbia, to help an ancient nation recover its mother tongue, supressed for decades by the Canadian government, as well as its identity and self-respect. Teaching the language through playful lessons, bilingual weather forecasts and recordings of Nuxalk elders, the station's young staff are immersing themselves in a culture their grandparents were too traumatised to pass on, and bringing the community with them. For Slts'lani, Qwaxw, Tatala and their colleagues, "broadcasting the laws of the lands and the waters" is much more than a linguistic exercise. It is the recovery of a resilient way of living shaped over centuries to withstand catastrophes and dedicated to the health of future generations. Their mission to build a bridge from the past to the future sings out through their music too. An album of new songs made by the radio station blends old and new musical forms, deer hooves and saxophones, antlers and synthesisers. Presenter: Maria Margaronis Producer: David Goren A Storyscape production for BBC World Service (Photo: Tatala and Ximximana. Credit: Slts'lani Banchi Hanuse/Nuxalk Radio)