ITK's language committee learns from Welsh example
Wales study tour shows unified writing system is possible
Michele LeTourneau
Northern News Services
Monday, January 16, 2017
NUNAVUT
The work of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami's Atausiq Inuktut Titirausiq (AIT) task group (or language committee) took them far afield in December.
Jeannie Arreak-Kullualik, director of Nunavut Tunngavik's social and cultural development department and a member of the Atausiq Inuktut Titirausiq Task Group (language committee), and president of the National Inuit Youth Council Maatalii Okalik greet His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. - Gareth Everett/Huw Evans Picture Agency |
The committee, tasked with moving toward a standardized written language for all 60,000 Inuit across Canada, was invited to Wales by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales in his role as president of Prince's Charities Canada.
The goal was to see first-hand how the Welsh are handling the revitalization of their language, explained Jeannie Arreak-Kullualik, director of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.'s social and cultural development department and a member of the committee.
According to the Prince's Charities website, the organization is focused on The Prince of Wales's core interests, which includes improving the lives of disadvantaged youth, education, regeneration of heritage, environmental sustainability and support for aboriginal communities, among others.
"He's very well-versed," said Arreak-Kullualik. "He knew all about the issues."
During the Dec. 12 to 18 visit, the committee, made up of members from all four regions - Nunavut, the Inuvialuit Settlement Region in the Northwest Territories, Nunatsiavut and Nunavik - visited cultural institutions which help in the revitalization of language. This included a visit to the Welsh Language Commissioner's office and Canolfan Bedwyr's language technologies unit at Bangor University.
The final stop for the 17 committee members and staff was a roundtable with the Prince at his Welsh residence, Llwynywermod.
"It was a study tour so the task group could get a deeper understanding of the cultural, social, institutional and other factors that supported the revitalization of the Welsh language because AIT was mandated to explore the development of a unified writing system, and the Welsh managed to do that," said Arreak-Kullualik.
"They have different dialects, as well. What was very interesting is, if we go territorial, we can create a lot of animosity and fight and focus on our differences ... But with the establishment of the Welsh National Assembly, they managed to unify the Welsh and start working together.
"That is what Nunavut was supposed to create. But we still have invisible divides - the different regions, transportation, time zones, different climates - and so it's very easy to go back to our differences. But we have to stay focused and say, 'We are one small population. We all have the same challenges. We have to be unified.'"
The committee's work is, of course, made more complicated by the fact that written Inuit languages come in Roman orthography and syllabics depending on the region.
"We have a challenge. It was recommended we use a form of Roman orthography as a unified writing system, but we're also trying to figure out ways to keep syllabics," said Arreak-Kullualik.
"We're never going to get rid of syllabics. It's become a huge part of our identity, at least in eastern Nunavut. There is a historical context on how it was introduced and it became a daily routine."
But she stresses that with language erosion and the younger generation not being fully versed in syllabics, the real job is figuring out the best way to make learning Inuktitut easier.
"And making it easier to share our resources and teaching materials, the curriculum. Also making it easier for the people outside to learn our language if our goal is to be served in Inuktitut," said Arreak-Kullualik.
Overall, the study trip to Wales was a success.
"It's a small world. A different part of the world but same challenges, same scenario - language revitalization in an English-dominant world. One of the most beautiful things I learned, which was the dream of Nunavut, is that when they learn Welsh there is no distinction between ethnicities. It's all the same. Mixed or blended families - they can have their children learn Welsh. It's full immersion."
Arreak-Kullualik says there's no excuse for children not to be taught in Inuktitut in Nunavut schools, and that's the main reason for a unified writing system.
