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New plans for language overhaul
Aaron Beswick Northern News Services Published Monday, November 1, 2010
The territorial government unveiled its plan on Wednesday for a course change, listing 73 recommendations to "revitalize" the territory's nine aboriginal languages.
"I've committed that all of them will be followed through on," said Minister Responsible for Official Languages Jackson Lafferty. "The potential for loss of a number of our languages is very high and is likely to occur unless we work together to strengthen aboriginal language use." The Northwest Territories Aboriginal Languages Plan, A Shared Responsibility, is the latest review of the status of regional languages. It shows that previous reports and attempts to preserve aboriginal languages by the territorial government have failed to halt decline. But Lafferty says this report will lead to across the board actions by government to ensure young aboriginals speak their native tongues in the home, on the land and while learning in school. Teacher and government worker aboriginal language programs delivered by Aurora college are part of that plan, along with education material for parents, support for time on the land with elders and much more. "Relearning your language is not easy," said NWT languages commissioner Sarah Jerome. "It has to be a passion. it has to be something that you care so much about that you'll do anything to get it." The report and its recommendations result from the Aboriginal Languages Symposium held this spring. Deadlines are tight - the 73 recommendations are supposed to be implemented within three years. Lafferty said some of the plan's recommendations have already been budgeted for, but a complete cost tally has not yet been done. "Revitalization actions have a limited period in which to become effective before many of those with the best understanding of the languages, and the strongest languages skills are no long with us," states the report in justifying a full review of the plan's effectiveness in three years. Among the report's other recommendations is the creation of an Aboriginal Languages Centre, operating at arms length from the GNWT, and the elimination of the Official Languages Board.
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