Feds pledge $19.6M to language preservation
No details yet on how funding will be spent
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Friday, June 2, 2017
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The federal government has pledged $19.6 million over four years to support indigenous languages in the territory.
NWT MP Michael McLeod made the announcement on May 26 at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre on behalf of Minister of Canadian Heritage Melanie Joly.
Angela James, director of the aboriginal languages secretariat for the territorial government's Department of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) was among those in attendance at the announcement.
She said the funding was expected, but still comes as very welcome news to both her department and regional aboriginal governments.
"The state of indigenous languages across the NWT is at a critical state," she said. "Gwich'in is in that critical state. Chipewyan is in that state."
James is hoping to use the money to provide funding for language preservation projects, although so far there are no specifics on how it will be spent. Ed Lippert, assistant superintendent of Yellowknife Education District No. 1 (Yk1), was also at the news conference. He said he has no idea how much of this money will trickle down into Yk1 schools.
"We'll be looking forward to finding that out," he said. "We just found out about this announcement. Our next job will be to find out where it's going and how it will help us in our system here."
Lippert said there are no meetings scheduled between Yk1 and ECE officials to see if any of the funding will be forwarded to the school board.
Scott Willoughby, aboriginal education co-ordinator for Yk1, said that if any funding is directed to his department, it could be used to expand the existing languages program being offered to students at Sir John Franklin High School.
"It's difficult to get a language program going," he said. "First of all you have to find students who are interested, then you have to find qualified teachers who speak their language. You also have to work within the high school schedule."
ECE Alfred Moses touted work the territorial government has already done to preserve indigenous languages in the NWT, such as transferring funding directly to regional indigenous governments and developing language apps, games, puzzles and audio exercises.
At the announcement, McLeod said the federal government has plans to work with indigenous people to develop an federal indigenous languages act.
"The goal (of the act) is preserving, protecting, promoting and revitalizing First Nations, Metis and Inuit languages in Canada," he said, calling the funding a step toward reconciliation. "Indigenous languages are essential to the expression of identity and belonging to communities. They transmit values, beliefs and stories from generation to generation."
The nine official indigenous languages in the NWT are Chipewyan, Cree, Gwich'in, Inuinnaqtun, Inuktitut, Inuvialuktun, North Slavey, South Slavey and Tlicho.
