Jennifer McPhee
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 05/01) - Aboriginal language use has declined in the Northwest Territories.

The territorial languages assembly, part of a two-year review of the Official Languages Act was held recently at the Explorer Hotel in Yellowknife.

Delegates from language communities, an advisory board created by the language commissioner and a special committee made up of MLA's attended the assembly.

The delegates heard that aboriginal language use has declined despite a federal investment of $38 million over the last 10 years. French language use is still relatively strong in the NWT.

Aboriginals who speak an aboriginal language dropped by 14 per cent from 1984 to 1999. About 45 per cent of aboriginals can converse in their language.

This percentage varies drastically by community. In the Dogrib area, about 95 per cent of people speak their language. However, this figure falls below 30 per cent in Yellowknife, Fort Smith and the Gwich'in area.

"One thing we can't do to this act is reduce it," said MLA Steven Nitah, chair of the committee conducting the review. "Roles and responsibilities will not be diminished as a result of changes to this act."

The committee will hold consultations in all the NWT's language regions until February. Public hearings in Yellowknife will follow in March.

After a draft report is circulated for public feedback, a final report will be tabled at the legislative assembly in the spring of 2003.

Nitah said it's too soon to predict the results of the review.

But part of the recent assembly included a presentation about how other legislation protects endangered languages outside of Canada.

In Wales, Welsh is now a compulsory subject for all students. More than 25 per cent of children attend Welsh schools and every post-secondary institution has a Welsh language program.

Nitah pointed to the Welsh example and said he hopes to see aboriginal languages taught in schools "right through high school."