What we Heard Report: Consultations on the Implementation of the Indigenous Languages Act — November 18, 2020 — Nunatsiavut

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 the roles and responsibilities of the Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages should include the following:

• Demonstrating that Indigenous languages are a priority by promoting them, advocating for them, and encouraging their use at all levels of government – Indigenous, federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal;
• Learning from best practices by examining other similar models within Canada and internationally; and
• Communicating, collaborating and listening to community partners and partners at all government levels.

Some participants mentioned that the Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages should be welcoming and that visitors should be able to hear Indigenous languages in its spaces.

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

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

• Gathering and sharing information on best practices in Indigenous language revitalization;
• Supporting greater parental involvement and adult interventions and prioritizing partnerships with all levels of government; and
• Determining the state of Indigenous languages and working with communities, experts and regions to map out what the needs are going forward and to develop a work plan.

Participants also thought that the Office could play a role in addressing the connectivity and bandwidth barriers that many communities face and that impede their Indigenous language revitalization efforts.

Selection of a Commissioner and Directors:

Participants thought that appointees to the Office should be:

• Proficient in an Indigenous language;
• Knowledgeable about Inuit regions and Inuit history, and about life in remote and isolated communities;
• Experienced in working closely with Indigenous groups, specifically on Indigenous languages; and
• Effective multi-taskers, well rounded, and passionate about Indigenous languages.

Participants also noted that appointees should have an academic background in Indigenous languages and a solid understanding of the education system.

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 provide adequate funding and should be sufficiently flexible to accommodate different Indigenous language needs in various parts of Canada, as determined by communities and regions.

What to Fund:

Participants thought that the funding model should support a variety of efforts, including:

• Partnering with mainstream institutions to recruit and train speakers and others to become Inuktitut language teachers, and remunerating teachers well;
• Focusing on language learning in classrooms and producing Inuktitut materials, including audio books, recordings, technology, signage and other visual resources, and working with the provincial government on curriculum development;
• Developing and implementing language plans to support lifelong fluency both within the school system through core and immersion programming and outside the school system with language training for adults;
• Focusing on fluent speakers, children and parents in schools and communities; and
• Connecting language to culture like land-based learning (building kayaks, making boots), language camps and language nests for all age groups.

Funding Process:

According to participants, the funding process should:

• Result in stable, long-term funding (5-year funding agreements were suggested); and
• Ensure that funding flows to Indigenous groups and organizations rather than mainstream entities or other levels of government.

Some participants noted that the recently established Indigenous Review Committees have helped improve the funding process, and suggested that an even more regionally based approach would be a good next step.

Defining and Measuring Success:

Participants thought that success could look like:

• A greater number of fluent speakers;
• Hearing Indigenous languages in the community – not just in schools, but in commercial spaces and in workplaces; and
• More interactive transmission of language through cultural activity.

Some participants noted the need to develop tools to evaluate and measure success, while others commented that successful Indigenous language revitalization efforts lead to increased mental health and wellness.

Additional Comments

Participants shared that Indigenous languages need to be valued more than they are now. For example, fluency in an Indigenous language should be a qualification in the workforce and educational system rather than an asset. Others highlighted that Indigenous languages are struggling and the needs are urgent. Some participants spoke about the historical oppression of Indigenous languages, and others thought it would be important to move away from Western approaches to education in working to revitalize languages.