What we Heard Report: Consultations on the Implementation of the Indigenous Languages Act — December 16, 2020 — Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated

Context

The Government of Canada is undertaking a variety of consultation activities across Canada on the implementation of the Indigenous Languages Act, with a focus on the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages and Directors and the Indigenous Languages Funding Model.

These consultation sessions will help the Minister of Canadian Heritage make recommendations to the Governor in Council for the appointment of a Commissioner of Indigenous Languages and up to three Directors. Feedback from these sessions will also inform the development of the Indigenous Languages Funding Model.

For further details and information about the Indigenous Languages Act and current consultations, we invite you to read our Discussion guide: Consultations and Engagement on the Implementation of the Indigenous Languages Act.

A summary of the most recent consultation session is provided below. The summary is not a complete account of the discussions. Instead, it highlights the key themes that emerged from this consultation session. Please visit the online consultation portal and review the Discussion guide to share your own and/or additional views.

Participants’ Overall Comments and Suggestions

Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages

The following considerations and themes were raised during the discussion on the Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages:

Roles and Responsibilities:

Participants thought that the roles and responsibilities of the Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages should include:

• Ensuring that Inuit who live in cities have access to their language;
• Working closely with other parts of the federal department, especially Indigenous Services Canada, and territorial governments on matters such as curriculum and enabling the use of Indigenous languages in all areas of life; and
• Mapping out and costing what it would look like to provide federal services in Nunavut in Inuktut.

Some participants thought that the Office, as currently conceived, may be too small to tackle the significant tasks ahead and wondered if it would be able to adequately address and represent Inuit concerns.

Plans and Priorities and Early Successes - Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages:

Participants proposed that the Office focus on the following early priorities:

• Establishing a mandate and structure for itself that focuses on properly supporting communities, and ensuring this is broadly communicated;
• Taking stock of existing research in the area of Indigenous language revitalization, including international research; and
• Gathering and sharing information on all currently available funding and best practices in Indigenous languages revitalization efforts.

Some participants suggested that an interesting area of research for the Office would be to examine the links between language fluency and literacy, identity, and decision-making power.

Selection of a Commissioner and Directors:

Participants thought that appointees to the Office should have a significant understanding of the history of Indigenous languages and of Inuktut in particular, with others suggesting that appointees should be bilingual, with fluency in English and Inuktut.

Indigenous Languages Funding Model

The following considerations and themes were raised during the discussion on the proposed Indigenous Languages Funding Model:

Language Vitality and Governance Capacity:

Participants raised a number of issues to consider during the development of an Indigenous Languages Funding Model, including:

• The overall design of the funding model should be broad enough to accommodate different kinds of funding arrangements, like Territorial Language Accords and other arrangements or agreements contemplated under the Indigenous Languages Act.

Many participants spoke about the inadequacy of funding currently available to support Indigenous language revitalization. In their view, the funding model should recognize and seek to address the harm done by past assimilationist policies and practices, and resources and efforts to revitalize Indigenous languages now should reflect efforts made in the past to harm them.

What to Fund:

Participants thought that Indigenous people should determine what the funding needs are. Examples of initiatives and efforts that should receive support under the funding model include:

• Training and recruiting more Inuktut language teachers;
• Supporting more immersion programs; and
• Staffing positions and acquiring the right tools to support Indigenous language revitalization.

Funding Process:

According to participants, the funding process should provide for long-term, sustainable funding through multi-year agreements.

Defining and Measuring Success:

Participants thought that the following would signal success for Indigenous language revitalization:

• In Nunavut specifically, the provision of services in Inuktut in the health care and justice systems, and in spaces like banks;
• An increase in the number of high school graduates who speak Inuktut; and
• Federal recognition of Inuktut as an official language.

Some participants thought that a good measure of success in Indigenous languages revitalization would be that no further Indigenous languages go to sleep.

Additional Comments

Participants talked about the Indigenous Languages Act and its implementation as a step in the right direction. Many participants described the uniqueness of Inuktut as a circumpolar language and the need for Inuktut speakers to strengthen their ties internationally. In addition, unlike any other jurisdiction in Canada, Inuktut is the language spoken by the majority of people in Nunavut, even though it is not a federal official language.

Some participants suggested that amending the federal Official Languages Act to recognize Inuktut as an official language in Nunavut would ensure that the language receives the same level of support as federal official languages in areas such as the education, health and justice systems. Others thought that overall, Indigenous languages require more support than English and French do.