What we Heard Report: Consultations on the Implementation of the Indigenous Languages Act — October 26, 2020 — Quebec
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:
- Consider and represent Indigenous people equitably, regardless of where they live;
- Represent, promote and recognize all Indigenous languages; and
- Be decentralized, and work closely with organizations already working in the area of Indigenous languages revitalization.
Participants also mentioned that beyond the Commissioner and Directors, the Office should ensure representation of Indigenous people at all levels of the organization. Others talked about the fact that some Nations already have, or will soon have, their own Indigenous Language Commissioners.
Plans and Priorities and Early Successes - Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages:
Many participants talked about the importance of the Office prioritizing the following:
- Gathering experts to get a picture of the state of Indigenous languages and to develop a plan, including infrastructure planning, for each language;
- Bringing provinces to the table – this is especially important when it comes to education (e.g. Indigenous languages should be recognized in schools); and
- Learning from the systems, structures and funding in place for the French and English languages.
Some participants highlighted that the Quebec region was not generally favourable to the idea of an Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages during the consultations on the development of the Indigenous Languages Act. There are still concerns about creating a bureaucracy that will divert resources away from supporting the efforts needed to revitalize Indigenous languages.
Selection of a Commissioner and Directors:
Participants proposed that appointees to the Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages should have:
- Some degree of fluency in an Indigenous language;
- Demonstrated experience in Indigenous languages work at the community level; and
- An understanding of the colonial system and policies that led to the current state of Indigenous languages and that still exist.
Many participants thought that appointees steeped in their own Indigenous culture have a valuable, lived understanding about what Indigenous languages mean: that they are an expression of culture, values, and a way of thinking and being.
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:
- Meet the commitment in the Indigenous Languages Act to providing adequate, sustainable and long-term funding – current funding is not sufficient;
- Balance the need to prioritize endangered languages with a recognition that all Indigenous languages are important and need to be supported;
- Provide equitable funding across all regions – the Quebec region is currently underfunded; and,
- Recognize the important role that Friendship Centres play in serving Indigenous people and in revitalizing Indigenous languages in an urban setting.
Participants stated that it is up to First Nations to define what the funding needs are, not governments.
What to Fund:
According to participants, the funding model should be flexible because languages are in different states and communities are at different places when it comes to their work on Indigenous language revitalization. Examples of the types of efforts that should receive funding under the model include:
- Support for speakers and for the next generation of speakers;
- Efforts that are already underway in communities;
- Land-based programming - the land provides and contains many of the words; and
- The implementation of community language plans and collaborative efforts across communities.
Recognizing that communities are at different starting points, some participants noted the importance of ensuring “start up” funding is provided to support consultation, research, design and capacity-building where needed.
Funding Process:
According to participants, the funding model should:
- Provide a baseline amount of predictable, sustainable, multi-year (5 year minimum) funding for all Indigenous languages;
- Flow funding directly to communities on an urgent basis; and
- Ensure that funding that is not going directly to communities is supporting Indigenous-led institutions and organizations.
Many participants highlighted that the current funding regime is challenging, especially regarding delays and communication, and called for greater Indigenous control over the process. Some noted that Indigenous languages are not projects and that funding should not be project-based.
Defining and Measuring Success:
Participants thought that objectives should be self-determined. Examples of what success could look like include:
- Indigenous people having more pride in their identities and cultures, especially among youth;
- Increased visibility of Indigenous languages in all areas of life;
- More Indigenous language teachers and resources; and
- A real Nation-to-Nation approach to Indigenous languages.
Additional Comments
Participants frequently spoke about the urgency of the work required to revitalize Indigenous languages. Others talked about Indigenous languages as an expression of sovereignty and the links between the loss of languages and residential schools and other colonial policies.
Many participants mentioned that the Indigenous Languages Act does not go far enough. For example, it does not ensure equitable treatment for Indigenous languages when compared to English and French, and it does not recognize Indigenous languages as the first languages of the land.
Some participants shared their thoughts about the intrinsic link between Indigenous languages and culture - Indigenous languages carry an understanding of life, and the words come from the land, which has traditionally been the source of knowledge.
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