What we Heard Report: Consultations on the Implementation of the Indigenous Languages Act — September 30, 2020 — Saskatchewan

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 COMMISSIONNER 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 raised a number of considerations for the roles and responsibilities of the Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages, including:

• Recognizing the diversity of languages, dialects and cultures across different regions and the distinct needs of people living on and off reserve;
• Valuing the need for regional representation;
• Providing support for community-based research, when requested; and
• Safeguarding the sacred and medicinal nature of Indigenous languages, and understanding the connection between languages and the land, and the trauma caused by language loss.

It was felt that the Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages could play a key role in facilitating the sharing of research and best practices around Indigenous language revitalization.

Plans and Priorities:

The discussion on key plans and priorities highlighted that the Office should understand that Indigenous languages are in crisis and that urgent action is required. From that starting point, the Office should develop a plan and determine priorities, including:

• Undertaking a quick assessment of the state of Indigenous languages;
• Prioritising action for those languages that are in the most critical situations; and
• Facilitating a whole-of-government approach to efforts to revitalize Indigenous languages.

Selection of a Commissioner and Directors:

Participants highlighted that the Commissioner and Directors should:

• Be strong communicators and have the ability to think creatively about solutions;
• Have both theoretical knowledge and practical experience in Indigenous language learning and teaching;
• Acknowledge the expertise and knowledge that Elders hold; and
• Understand the connection between language and ceremony, the history of Indigenous languages and how these languages contain worldviews, cultural teachings, values and principles.

In addition, participants indicated that the Commissioner should be an Indigenous person and fluent in an Indigenous language.

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 indicated that the Indigenous Languages Funding Model should:

• Fund Indigenous languages revitalization at comparable levels to funding for French-language immersion programming;
• Help build the infrastructure needed to normalize Indigenous language learning; and
• Be based on a Nation-to-Nation, whole-of-government approach to Indigenous languages.

Participants also commented that funding allocations based on the number of Indigenous languages are not equitable – an allocation scheme going forward needs to be based on other criteria.

What to Fund:

According to participants, an Indigenous Languages Funding Model should:

• Include the range of activities required for lifelong learning, and take into account the specific needs of the off-reserve population (without a land base) as well as sometimes forgotten populations like incarcerated persons;
• Provide adequate funding to those programs that are already operating and have demonstrated their success (ex. immersion programs);
• Recognize that Indigenous languages don’t stop at provincial, territorial or even national borders and support cross-border efforts; and
• Reflect that communities are best placed to determine what should be funded and supported in their language planning efforts.

Many participants also indicated that practitioners should be able to learn about other models that are working, and adapt them to their own communities. This includes thinking innovatively about Indigenous language learning and questioning the outcomes achieved under the current Western curriculum.

Funding Process:

The discussion on funding process highlighted the need to:

• move away from a year-to-year funding and proposal-based model; and
• strike the right balance between accountability and onerous reporting requirements, especially for those communities with lower governance capacity.

Defining and Measuring Success:

According to participants, success will look different for every language and community, and objectives should be tailored to each community’s reality.

Quantitative ways of measuring success include:

• the number of fluent speakers;
• the increase/decrease of language levels of learners;
• the level of exposure to the language;
• the amount of written and online materials;
• the standardization of orthography; and
• the availability of services in Indigenous languages;

Qualitative ways to achieve success include:

• children knowing their histories and being proud to be Indigenous and speak their own languages;
• positive impacts that learning their own languages can have on the lives of learners; and
• the level of community involvement.

Participants commented on transformational change, specifically that success will have been achieved when a Nation-to-Nation approach to Indigenous languages is adopted, and Indigenous ways of knowing, learning, being and doing are truly valued.