Reference material - Creating First Nations, Inuit and Métis languages legislation

Key documents specific to Indigenous languages preservation, promotion and revitalization

• Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (1996)
• Gathering Strength – Canada’s Aboriginal Action Plan; and Statement of Reconciliation (1998)
• Towards a New Beginning: A Foundational Report for a Strategy to Revitalize First Nation, Inuit and Métis Languages (2005) (PDF, 1.7 Mb)
• “Language Vitality and Endangerment”- United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization Ad Hoc Expert Group on Endangered Languages (2003) (PDF, 138 Kb)
• “Statement of Apology to Former Students of Indian Residential Schools” (2008)
• United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2008) (PDF, 165 Kb)
• Canada Becomes a Full Supporter of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2017)
  • Honouring the Truth, Reconciling for the Future – Summary of the Final Reportof the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (PDF, 11.9 Mb) Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action (2015) (PDF, 298 Kb) Truth and Reconciliation Commission – Findings

Supporting resources

• Commitment to Enact an Indigenous Languages Act - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Speech to the Assembly of First Nations Special Chiefs Assembly (2016)
• Important Step Taken Toward Co-Development of Indigenous Languages Legislation (2017); and A joint statement for the June 15 launch of co-development of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis languages legislation - Backgrounder (2017)
• Principles respecting the Government of Canada’s relationship with Indigenous peoples (2017)
• Guide to the Canadian House of Commons – Making Canada’s Laws (2011); and House of Commons Procedure and Practice - The Legislative Process (2000)
• Treaties – assorted works
  • Treaty-Making in Canada
  • A History of Treaty-Making in Canada
  • Historic Treaties and Treaty First Nations in Canada Infographic
• Constitution Acts, 1867 to 1982
• Indian Residential Schools
• Census in Brief - Aboriginal Languages in Canada (2011)
• Census in Brief - The Aboriginal languages of First Nations people, Métis and Inuit (2016)
• Report on the Status of B.C. First Nations Languages 2014, Second Edition (PDF 3.66 Mb)
• Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: Study on the role of languages and culture in the promotion and protection of the rights and identity of Indigenous peoples (2012)