Statement made on 02 June 2009 by Senator Willie Adams (retired)
Hon. Willie Adams:
Honourable senators, thank you for raising other issues, such as education for Inuit, which we had not talked about. I will speak about the motion regarding the Nunavut Official Languages Act.
Honourable senators, on a request from the Government of Nunavut to have the agreement of both houses of Parliament, I concur with the Leader of the Government in the Senate on her motion changing the Nunavut official languages.
When Nunavut was created in 1999, the Northwest Territories Official Language Act was still in force in Nunavut. Many of the languages considered as official languages in the Northwest Territories are not spoken in Nunavut, therefore requiring an update for a language bill in Nunavut.
I want to again stress the Inuit languages because they are integral to our culture and our being.
Before the arrival of English- and French-speaking explorers, the people in the Arctic spoke only Inuit languages. Over the past few years, it has become apparent that our languages are not being spoken as frequently as years ago. We have a generation that was brought up impressed by all things from the South. They are at risk of losing their language and culture.
This act, which was passed by the Government of Nunavut last June, was the result of years of consultation to achieve legislation that would recognize the rights of Inuit in the legislative process and ensure that Inuit languages continue to be spoken and have equality with English and French as the official languages of Nunavut. Over 70 per cent of the population of Nunavut speaks Inuit languages, 26 per cent speaks English and 1 per cent speaks French.
Under Article 32 of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement, Inuit have the right to participate in the development of social and cultural policies within Nunavut. This act will ensure that programs and services will be offered by territorial institutions to better assist Inuit. The territorial institutions and applications would include the Government of Nunavut, courts, proceedings in the legislative assembly and administrative heads of public agencies.
In order for all Inuit who are unilingual to be able to participate in the parliamentary democratic process in Canada, we have to accept Inuktitut as an official language in Nunavut. I feel that once the Inuktitut language is officially recognized, this will promote more employment because Inuktitut will be a working language and more Inuit will participate in the workforce.
Debates and proceedings in the legislative assembly will now be in the language of choice. Documents such as records, journals, acts and recordings will be made available upon request in any of the three languages.
Many of our elders are unilingual and require someone, usually a younger family member, to interpret for them into the English language in order to communicate. They will now have the opportunity to obtain important services in the only language that they have ever known.
There is also a goal to have 85 per cent Inuit employment in the Nunavut government, and with that number, more and more employees of the Government of Nunavut will be able to conduct business in an Inuit language. There will be no fear of our language disappearing, and more and more services will be implemented to better serve Nunavummiut.
This act will also be incorporated into the justice system and will confirm the language makeup of Nunavut. I understand that the Minister of Language is here, the Honourable Louis Tapardjuk. Now, official languages will be used in judicial proceedings and interpretation services will be provided accordingly.
This act also outlines the duties of the Languages Commissioner of Nunavut, who will have the authority to ensure that the rights, status and privileges contained in the Official Languages Act are recognized. This may entail investigations and reports to ensure that the provisions of the Official Languages Act are followed appropriately.
This act is to be reviewed every five years, by which time I am hopeful that many of the policies will have been implemented and will continue to be implemented.
Recently, the Minister of Language in the Nunavut government, the Honourable Louis Tapardjuk, attended the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and spoke about issues important to Inuit. One of those issues was the new Official Languages Act and its importance to the Inuit way of life.
Mary Simon, President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, spoke to us earlier, but I do not see the Premier of Nunavut, Eva Aariak, in the gallery. We expected her. We also expected the Languages Commissioner of Nunavut to be present here today.
I would like to thank the Nunavut delegation for coming to the Senate Chamber to hear our debate about concurring with the passage of the Nunavut Official Languages Act.
Today history is being made in the Senate Chamber, as we have Inuktitut interpretation for the first time. It was an honour to have Mary Simon address the Committee of the Whole.
I apologize that I have trouble communicating effectively in English, and sometimes in Inuktitut.
Honourable senators, it would be a great honour if this motion were passed today, recognizing the importance of Inuit languages to Nunavummiut. I thank you for supporting it.