What we Heard Report: Consultations on the Implementation of the Indigenous Languages Act — October 21, 2020 — Ontario

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 indicated that it was important that the Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages:

Many participants confirmed that communities hold the language expertise, and stressed the importance of the Office working closely with communities on community language assessments and other efforts to revitalize Indigenous languages.

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

Many participants talked about the importance of focusing on:

Many participants had some concerns that four appointees to the Office may not be sufficient to represent all Nations, languages and language groups. Some participants suggested building additional representation into the Office’s structure, maybe on a Nation-by-Nation basis.

Selection of a Commissioner and Directors:

Participants proposed that appointees to the Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages should be:

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 some participants, the Indigenous Languages Funding Model should:

Participants also stated that the current funding is inadequate to meet the existing needs with respect to revitalizing Indigenous languages.

What to Fund:

According to participants, the funding model should be flexible and responsive to community-determined needs. Examples of the types of efforts that should receive funding under the new model include:

Many participants noted that Indigenous languages should permeate all areas of life, and that a cradle-to-grave approach at the community level will help to achieve that. Other participants noted that the model should prioritize the adequate funding of existing, successful programs.

Funding Process:

According to participants, the funding model should:

Some participants expressed frustration about the lack of responsiveness within the current funding process and suggested that the Department be more communicative with communities and more transparent in its process.

Defining and Measuring Success:

Participants expressed that Indigenous Peoples will define and measure success in the area of Indigenous languages revitalization. Examples of success could include children acquiring their languages from a very young age, and benefitting from learning multiple languages as children.

Additional Comments

Participants frequently mentioned that the needs around Indigenous languages revitalization are urgent. Others highlighted:

Participants expressed a desire to continue the dialogue that began today.

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