Inuit Celebrate Nunavut Official Language Act Obtaining Parliamentary

[Machjo]

Interesting article:

http://indigenouspeoplesissues.com/index.p...=74〈=en

[Machjo]

That's a positive step forward in my opinion.

[Guest TrueMetis]

Cool, But does that mean people living in Nunavut have to learn all four languages?

[Machjo]

Cool, But does that mean people living in Nunavut have to learn all four languages?

http://www.parl.gc.ca/40/2/parlbus/commbus...inaljun09-e.pdf

Here are a few provisions of the Act below. As far as I can tell, no, it will not require each civil servant to know these languages, but those who do will likely be given hiring priority.

In terms of exactly which rights Nunavut‟s new Official Languages Act would guarantee in respect of English, French and the Inuit Language, the Act provides that:

 Debates in Nunavut‟s Legislative Assembly may be conducted in any of the three official languages (section 4(1)).

 Records and journals of the Legislative Assembly shall be published in English and French, and may be published in the Inuit Language as well, if the Speaker requires it to be done (section 4(2)).

 All Acts of the Legislative Assembly shall be published in English and French and both versions are equally authoritative. They may also be published in the Inuit Language if the Commissioner in Executive Council required this to be done, by order. In addition, the Legislative Assembly may, by resolution, designate an Act in the Inuit Language to be authoritative (sections 5(1), 5(3) and 5(4)).

 All statutory instruments must be published in the Nunavut Gazette in English and French in order for them to have force and effect, and may be published in the Inuit Language by order of the Commissioner in Executive Council. The Commissioner in Executive Council may also require an Inuit Language version of an instrument to be published in the Nunavut Gazette (section 7).

 Individuals in judicial or quasi-judicial proceedings may use any of the three official languages for the purposes of participation and pleadings. Persons participating in civil proceedings are also entitled to request interpretation services in their official language of choice and are entitled to be informed of that right (sections 8(1) to 8(3)). A judicial or quasi-judicial body can also order interpretation to be provided for the public if the body considers the proceedings to be of general public interest, or if it finds it desirable to order this for the benefit of members of the public in attendance (section 8(4)).

 Persons appearing before a judicial or quasi-judicial body are entitled to request and receive final decisions, orders or judgments from that body in the official language of their choice (section 9(1)).

 Final orders, decisions and judgments will be translated into the other official languages if the judicial or quasi-judicial body determines a question of law of general public interest. They will also be translated into another official language if a question of law of specific interest or importance affecting the official

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language community in question is decided, or if the body determines a question of significant interest or importance to a participant who used the official language in question during the proceedings (section 9(2)).

 Territorial institutions are required to provide all signs, notices to the public and instruments in all official languages, and administrative heads of these institutions are charged with establishing and maintaining operational policies to ensure that this is done (section 11).

 Members of the public in Nunavut have the right to communicate with and receive services from territorial institutions in the official language of their choice, from the head office of the institution, at minimum, and in other offices of the institution where there is a significant demand for communications with and services from the office in question in the language, or, if, due to the nature of the office, it is reasonable that communications and services be available in the official language in question (sections 12(1) to 12(4)).

 The Commissioner in Executive Council may also order a service to be made available in one or more official languages in the event of special concern about language loss or assimilation, on the grounds that delivering a service in a particular official language is likely to have a revitalizing impact on or promote the use of a language indigenous to an affected area or group (section 12(5)).

 The provisions in section 12 of the Act with respect to communications with and services offered by territorial institutions apply to both oral and written communications (section 12(6)).

 Administrative heads of territorial institutions have a duty to make an active offer of service to members of the public in accordance with the provisions outlined in sections 12(2) to 12(5) of the Act (section 12(7)).

 Administrative heads of municipalities also have a duty to ensure that service is provided in an official language by that municipality if there is a significant demand in that community for communications with and services in that language (section 12(8)).

[Machjo]

The Act is far from perfect, but there are two things I like about it:

1. It's a step forward, and

2. It makes for a precedent for other Aboriginal languages across Canada.

[Smallc]

2. It makes for a precedent for other Aboriginal languages across Canada.

i doubt that. Outside of the territories (and that doesn't really even apply to Yukon) there's very little demand or need.

[Machjo]

i doubt that. Outside of the territories (and that doesn't really even apply to Yukon) there's very little demand or need.

I had read an article the other day in an Aboriginal paper I'd managed to get my hands on that had peaked my attention. It had commented on the fact that Aboriginal communities across Canada are hoping to use this as a stepping stone to demand more rights for their languages too.

Where this goes is a different matter, but it is interesting that they are now using this as a rallying point.