What we Heard Report: Consultations on the Implementation of the Indigenous Languages Act — November 17, 2020 — National Association of Friendship Centres

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 the following:

• Establishing a forum or a council of Language Keepers, with representatives from different language groups and Elders, to guide the Office in its work;
• Ensuring communication with, and accountability to, urban Indigenous people and organizations (e.g. Friendship Centre Movement);
• Helping to build a sustainable institutional infrastructure for Indigenous languages;
• Being independent and representative of all Indigenous groups, autonomous of political interference;
• Working with federal partners to establish a whole-of-government approach to Indigenous languages; and
• Taking stock of existing research on Indigenous languages and ensuring that any research going forward is Indigenous-led and owned.

Some participants indicated that one possible area of research could be the examination of structural barriers to Indigenous languages in urban settings.

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

Many participants spoke about the following as possible early priorities for the Office:

• Developing a national Indigenous languages strategy with clear accountabilities;
• Establishing ways to bring people working on Indigenous language revitalization together on a regular basis; and
• Building a repository of information on Indigenous languages (including languages and dialects, number of speakers, research, best practices and evidence-based models) and promoting information-sharing.

Many participants thought that the Office should be representative of where Indigenous languages live, including urban settings.

Selection of a Commissioner and Directors:

Participants thought that appointees to the Office should be:

• Indigenous and fluent in an Indigenous language;
• Grounded in an Indigenous culture, with an understanding of the intrinsic links between Indigenous languages, cultural teachings and identity;
• Strong leaders, communicators, human resource managers, negotiators, and collaborators able to bring people together; and
• Experienced in strategic development and knowledgeable about how government works.

Participants also noted the importance of being able to listen and reflect back what they hear. Many participants also emphasized the need to be able to collaborate across distinctions and the urban/rural divide, and to employ a more holistic worldview of identity, belonging and community.

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:

According to participants, the Indigenous Languages Funding Model should:

• Be equitable and accessible, taking into account the Indigenous population living off-reserve, and including an allocation specifically for Indigenous organizations that serve this population;
• Prioritize critically endangered Indigenous languages; and
• Include a “start up” component for organizations that are new to the work.

What to Fund:

Participants thought that the funding model should be flexible enough to support a variety of initiatives, including:

• Partnering with schools, school boards, early learning centres, child and family services and other systems to ensure children, including children in care, and incarcerated persons are able to access Indigenous languages services;
• Recruiting Indigenous language teachers, paying them properly, recognizing their credentials;
• Developing Indigenous language resources, including language recordings, dictionaries and online content, and supporting Indigenous broadcasting; and,
• Supporting immersion programs, land-based learning, and youth and Elder involvement in Indigenous language revitalization.

Some participants spoke about the need to support Indigenous language “hubs” in urban settings and that the model should be flexible enough to cover related infrastructure and travel costs.

Funding Process:

According to participants, the funding process should:

• Provide for adequate, sustainable, core funding through multi-year (3-5 year) agreements;
• Be accessible, simplified and timely;
• Make funding available to Indigenous people, communities and organizations, who can then partner with mainstream organizations as required; and
• Flow funding through existing mechanisms and organizations (for example, the National Association of Friendship Centres) for further local distribution.

Defining and Measuring Success:

Participants thought that success could look like:

• Greater involvement of Indigenous people in cultural and Indigenous language activities;
• Increased connection to, and use of, Indigenous languages in families and communities; and
• More fluency and sense of pride in identity and culture.

Additional Comments

Participants shared that 50% of Indigenous people in Canada live in cities and that Indigenous people have the right to their languages regardless of where they live. Many participants stated that the existing network of Friendship Centres plays a key role in the effort to revitalize Indigenous languages for the off reserve population.

Many participants emphasized the need for urgent action on Indigenous languages and highlighted the healing nature of languages.