Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (Feb 13/02) - Members of the public had the chance to share their concerns over proposed language legislation in Rankin Inlet yesterday.

Hosted at the Siniktarvik Hotel, the meeting was organized to let Kivalliq residents contribute their opinions about Inuktitut before the legislation becomes law.

Nunavut languages commissioner Eva Aariak said members of a special government committee and Nunavummiut discussed legislation to amend the existing Official Languages Act.

The amendments will make Nunavut's Act -- adopted from the Northwest Territories following division -- specific to the territory. That means the Dene and Cree languages will be dropped and Nunavut's four official languages (Inuktitut, Inuinnaqtun, English and French) will be included.

The second piece of legislation up for discussion involves an Inuktitut Protection Act. In a proposal delivered to the members of the special committee, Aariak said the bill will protect, promote and increase the use of Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun and would prevent discrimination from taking place.

Reaching that goal, Aariak said, means ensuring Inuktitut speakers have the right to education in their mother tongue, that Nunavut businesses serve their customers in Inuktitut, that Nunavummiut are able to work in Inuktitut and that government and private sector signs be written in Inuktitut.

The bill also calls for the establishment of an Inuktitut language authority to oversee language issues in Nunavut and to help develop new terminology as needed.

Aariak, who said the proposed legislation has received favourable response to date, said she was looking forward to the regional dialogue.

Similar meetings were also held in Iqaluit and Cambridge Bay.

"I'd like to hear the pros and cons from the people and the business community," said Aariak.

Brian Zawadski of Rankin Inlet said he believes the act is necessary, given 85 per cent of the population and consumers in the territory speak Inuktitut.

"Why not?" answered Zawadski when asked if Nunavut businesses should include syllabics and Roman orthography alongside English.

"If you have a business, it makes sense you would want to be conducive to your customers. I don't see a problem with it," he said.

"If you're making a sign already, how much more difficult is it to put Inuktitut on it? It will probably cost a few bucks, but what the heck."

Mike Growther, the manager of the Northern store in Rankin Inlet, also supports Inuktitut signage. Bilingual signs already adorned the community store, he pointed out.

"Almost everybody, all the customers here, speak Inuktitut and 90 per cent of the staff do, too," said Growther, who is also taking Inuktitut lessons. "We've done it forever and I'm glad we do," he said.

Furthermore, Aariak said the act and the higher visibility of Inuktitut would boost Inuit pride and help solve some of the territory's social problems.

"If the language is promoted and visible, it will have a positive effect in addressing the emotional situation we're all going through in this period," she said.