Tara Kearsey
Northern News Services

Pelly Bay (Sep 30/02) - The ministry responsible for language and culture sends out applications for funding in English and French.

That's been the experience for three hamlets: Kugaaruk, Clyde River and Cambridge Bay.

Kugaaruk economic development officer Vince Ningark said he is tired of translating forms sent to him by the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth for unilingual elders.

"It's an insult to me that they don't have it Inuktitut or Innuinaqtun. Most of my clients don't read English," he said.

Ningark said he doesn't mind assisting his clients complete the applications, but he worries that he may incorrectly translate a word or two, resulting in a delay of funding approval.

"They might end up losing their grant ... then it would take another couple of weeks to fill out another application and another few weeks before it gets processed again," he said.

"It upsets me ... language should be emphasized more by this department," he said.

In Clyde River, Gary Aipellee said he had to request Inuktitut copies of the forms.

"But at one time I did want them and I had to call or fax them in order to get them because all of the elders here can't speak English," he said.

Cambridge Bay economic development officer Gordon Bligh said he hasn't seen an Innuinaqtun application yet, as far as he remembers.

"Just in French and English. That's all I have," he said.

Ningark complained about the problem in a July e-mail to the department, but never received a response.

The department's assistant deputy minister, Anthony Saez, said all funding applications are available in Inuktitut and Innuinaqtun as well as English and French.

He hadn't heard of Ningark's complaint.

"I don't know who he wrote to here because nobody here has heard," he said.

Saez said one reason why department officials might not be aware of Ningark's request is probably because the administration officer for grants and contributions left in July.

Saez said the department is in the process of expanding its Web site so people can access funding applications on-line.

A new administrative officer for grants and contributions has also been hired.