What we Heard Report: Consultations on the Implementation of the Indigenous Languages Act — November 25, 2020 — Northwest Territories

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 Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages should undertake the following:

• Promote the importance of Indigenous languages and, where it makes sense to do so, assist in language standardization efforts;
• Work closely with the education system and help improve the funding process for Indigenous languages; and
• Assist communities in their efforts to develop effective language plans and liaise between language groups and governments.

Some participants believed the Office would be best located in the National Capital Region as much of the work will entail working closely within the federal government and advocating for Indigenous languages. Others were concerned that a central location might not be able to provide adequate service for the wide range of Indigenous languages and dialects and their different realities.

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

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

• Visiting regional organizations, assemblies and communities, to learn more about Indigenous languages, efforts underway to revitalize languages, and what the next steps should be;
• Taking stock of Indigenous languages programs and resources across Canada and internationally, housing them virtually and otherwise within the Office, sharing this information with Indigenous language practitioners, and encouraging using, adapting and building upon existing work; and
• Establishing networks to promote greater collaboration among people working to revitalize Indigenous languages.

Some participants noted that the Office should remain focused on Indigenous languages and on the people working to revitalize them.

Selection of a Commissioner and Directors:

Participants suggested the following key characteristics for appointees to the Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages:

• Indigenous, and fluent in an Indigenous language;
• Experienced and passionate about the work of revitalizing Indigenous languages; and
• Strong advocates who are knowledgeable about Indigenous Peoples, their lands, and Indigenous languages across the country.

Participants also shared that the Commissioner and Directors should enjoy travelling and visiting communities.

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 inadequacy of current funding;
• The need for capacity development and core funding and,
• The importance of including a component for specific, time-limited projects (e.g pilot an Indigenous language school).

Some participants highlighted the importance of taking a holistic approach to revitalizing Indigenous languages and making linkages to health, wellness, culture and history.

What to Fund:

Participants thought that funding should be flexible enough to support a range of initiatives including:

• On the land programs balanced with new technology, to help with healing and learning language and culture;
• Training for Indigenous people to teach and revitalize Indigenous languages;
• Indigenous language schools and cultural centres; and
• Curriculum development and immersion programs.

Funding Process:

According to participants, the funding process should:

• Provide multi-year funding directly to First Nations or First Nation-led language programs;
• Ensure that funding is delivered in a timely manner; and
• Be more streamlined, with less onerous application and reporting requirements.

Defining and Measuring Success:

According to participants, measures of the vitality of an Indigenous language include:

• Number of speakers and their age; and
• Resources available in a given language.

Additional Comments

Some participants spoke about current efforts to build French-language schools in the Northwest Territories and thought that Indigenous languages deserved the same level of respect and support. Participants talked about work underway to ensure that self-government agreements contain accurate language and capture Indigenous stories written in Indigenous languages.

Participants also emphasized the importance of focusing on individual language learners and their gifts and talents and that Indigenous languages are healing. Some mentioned the connection between Indigenous languages and the land, and that language specialists are healers, hunters, fishers and people who sew.