Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as Chair of the Special Committee established to Review the Official Languages Act, I am pleased to speak in favour of this motion.
It provides the terms of reference that will guide the work of the special committee in carrying out the responsibilities, given to us by this House.
Mr. Speaker, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of language and cultural diversity in the northern society. For myself and those of my colleagues who speak more than one language, it is very easy to appreciate the passion with which so many people pursue the preservation and enhancement of their mother tongues.
I have been raised bilingual and know from first-hand experience that my capacity to fully express myself in my first language and what is lost when I communicate in my second language, English.
The greatest difficulty that I have is communicating basic cultural understanding values when I speak English. It is in recognition that so many Northerners also feel strongly about their language and the important role that it plays in defining who we are as a distinct northern people.
However, we are proposing the review that we are legally required to carry out, be done in a manner that involves extensive public participation in the process.
Mr. Speaker, I come from a culture that understands that each one of us has a reason for being born in this place and time and that we each have a purpose that is respected by others. This understanding and our respect for each other and all living things and their purpose is reflected in my language.
This very understanding and acceptance and respect that flows from them is a very real source of personal strength for me and so many others in the North who gain strength from their culture.
The relationship between strength in language and culture and building a strong northern community are clearly linked. These links are acknowledged in our priorities document, Towards A Better Tomorrow, where respect for the diversity of cultures and languages is identified in the vision for a prosperous future.
Mr. Speaker, it is clear that all people benefit, both on a personal level and on a societal level, from strengthening all of the languages in the North.
Recently, I have also come to learn the value of multi-lingualism in the development of our intellectual capacity.
A world-renowned scientist, Dr. Thom Hartmann, presented scientific proof that aboriginal languages require the predominant use of the right lobe of the brain and that European languages require the predominant use of the left side.
Through actual brain activity testing, he has found that people who speak both an indigenous language and a European language are using a greater part of their brain and their intellectual ability to learn is enhanced significantly. Dr. Hartmann has further evidence that the defined time to learn language is between boyhood and five years old.
The language learning capacity of children over the age of five begins to diminish because the part of the brain that is used to learn language must be exercised early in life before it begins to deteriorate.
Other important insights that have been uncovered relate to the limitations of developing only the left lobe of the brain. People lose their creative capacity, they tend to be unwilling to take risks and they lose their leadership potential and tend to become followers and dependent on others.
Clearly, Mr. Speaker, society as a whole has much to gain from strengthening our languages. We become not only more tolerant of our cultural differences, we actually can begin to see and experience the benefits and values of such differences.
Mr. Speaker, I want to share with you and Members of this House the sense of importance our special committee places on the work that we have been mandated to take on. We are proposing a very inclusive approach to our work of reviewing this act. We feel that this is necessary to ensure that whatever changes are proposed from this process, they are actively supported by people throughout the Northwest Territories. The steps we take now to work through our identifying and addressing the needs of each official language community may well contribute to the well-being of northern people and the very survival of some of our official languages may hinge on it.
The special committee seeks the support of all Members to carry out this important review in the manner that will allow the language communities of the Northwest Territories to participate directly in the process. Together, we will find ways in which the laws of our Legislature can be developed to support the strengthening of language, culture and ultimately the resilience of our northern peoples.
Mr. Speaker, the special committee looks forward to receiving the Members' support for the terms of reference we have developed and for getting on with the important work of beginning the review. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
