Iqaluit (Dec 06/04) - Originally from Arctic Bay, Eva Aariak is stepping down as the Nunavut Languages Commissioner.

She talks about leaving her job after five years, the strength of Inuktitut and her desire to learn French.

Nunavut News/North: Where are you heading off to?

EA: I'm off to Ottawa and then on to Penticton, B.C., for an aboriginal language and literature conference. I have been asked to be a keynote speaker there. I am looking forward to it.

NNN: So what's next for you?

EA: The next step for me in terms of my work is to move on to new challenges. I'm going into the private sector. The business I am getting into is still very much involved with language and culture. I'm looking forward to it.

NNN: You have been Languages Commissioner of Nunavut since 1999. The whole time you wanted to see it become a Nunavut system, not just inherited from the NWT. When do think that will happen?

EA: The GN has a timeline for the language legislation to go through. They are saying by 2006. They are still working on it.

Although the special committee reviewing the Languages Act spent a lot of time travelling, I guess the new players would like to do more consulting. It is taking a little bit longer than hoped.

NNN: When you were touring out to the communities, especially in the beginning, what were people asking you? What did they want to see from your office?

EA: There was a lot of optimism everywhere at the time. And there still is to some degree today. But it seems there was more optimism with the pending changes that would be happening with the new territory.

Everybody seemed excited at the time. Now that we are on our fifth year, I don't know if the excitement is at the same level.

But everywhere I go I get so much support and welcome and feedback from the public, elders and the youth.

When I travel I see enthusiasm from the youth. They are expecting there will be more opportunities for them to learn their own culture and language, not just from home but from the community and the schools. I just hope these things start happening soon before their desire wanes.

NNN: Growing up, were there times you were forced to speak English?

EA: No, not at my time. I think the situation was changing then. I didn't start speaking English fully until I was about 12.

Even in the early years, the only place English was spoken was in school. Everywhere else in the community -- Arctic Bay was a very small community -- the language surrounding you was Inuktitut.

It was during school hours you'd hear your teacher speaking in English. We would speak to one another in Inuktitut because we weren't conversing in English yet.

NNN: What language are you most comfortable speaking? Inuktitut?

EA: Of course. No doubt. It's my first language and I always feel more comfortable with Inuktitut.

NNN: I am starting to learn Inuktitut. I've got all the books and I'm going through the grammar. It's really hard!

EA: Are you telling me there are other languages that are easier to learn? (Laughs) How does it compare with French? That is one language I would love to learn. I am working on it. Maybe I'll have more time now. (Laughs)

NNN: There are still a lot of misconceptions about what you did as the Languages Commissioner. People think you were in charge of producing dictionaries or something.

EA: Or the language expert, which I am not! (Laughs) It's more of a monitoring position.

We have to monitor the GN and the legislative assembly and their adherence to the Official Languages Act of Nunavut.

This position is an ombudsman position where members of the public can make a complaint in regards to language issues and we would investigate and make recommendations to the legislative assembly.

In the Languages Act, it states that this office will work towards enhancing, preserving and promoting the aboriginal language, which in our case is Inuktitut.

NNN: Are you worried about the survival of Inuktitut? When you look at Nunavut 50 years from now, how do you envision Inuktitut?

EA: No, I'm not worried. I envision Inuktitut in the very core of the operation of the community. I see it visible, you are actually immersed in that language.

When you get off the plane in Quebec City you know that you are in Quebec. You hear it, it's all over. And I see that Inuktitut will be like that, but not in the sense that you won't see any other language.

I see English playing an important role. We want to be open. We want to be global. We want to be open to the outside world.

English will always be here, but I see Inuktitut on the same level as English, with no less respect than English or French.

NNN: What do you think is the biggest threat to Inuktitut?

EA: Community support and political. Strong political support will is needed to set (the language) forth to the way most Nunavummiut have always indicated to me on my travels. Elders. Adults. Inuit citizens. They want to see their language and culture being displayed in a very prominent way, at the same time accommodating other cultures.

If you are proud of who you are, then it is that much easier to deal with other stuff, including the social problems we are immersed in now.

NNN: What kind of person makes a good Languages Commissioner?

EA: It's important to be diplomatic, to be able to listen to the public and to be able to play impartiality with situations. You have to have a keen interest in language issues. And sensitivity to different cultures, respecting all of them.