Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Community Visits and Public Hearings
The committee conducted community visits and public hearings in September 2008. The committee held public hearings in Délînê, Fort McPherson, Fort Resolution, Fort Simpson, Fort Smith, Inuvik and Yellowknife. The committee also had meetings with community aboriginal language groups in Behchoko, Dettah, Délînê, Fort McPherson, Fort Resolution, Fort Simpson, Fort Smith, K’atlodeeche (Hay River Reserve) and Inuvik. To ensure all aboriginal language community groups had a chance to participate, they were invited to attend the meetings for their language group. Representatives from Fort Providence, Ulukhaktok, Fort Liard, Trout Lake, Kakisa, Fort Good Hope and Tulita took part in meetings on the Hay River Reserve and in Inuvik, Fort Simpson and Délînê.
Most gatherings were well attended, and the standing committee heard many engaged contributions addressing language issues and concerns. The vast majority of contributions during the public hearings were made by members of aboriginal language groups. The
committee
regretted that there were no contributions from the French speaking public.
Some highlights of what the members of the standing committee heard during its community visits are captured in the “Emerging Themes” section of this interim report. A more detailed summary will be included in the final report on the review of the Official Languages Act.
Public Committee Meetings
The standing committee expects to hear from witnesses at public committee meetings in late 2008. Witnesses will include the Minister responsible for Official Languages, the Languages Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, representatives of the Aboriginal Languages Revitalization Board and the Official Languages Board, the NWT Bureau of Statistics, the Fédération Franco Ténoise and the NWT Literacy Council.
Additional Input from the Public
The standing committee is providing further opportunities for public input. The public is encouraged to complete a questionnaire that is posted on the Assembly’s website and available from the Legislative Assembly as a paper copy upon request. This questionnaire is available until November 21, 2008. In addition, members of the public are welcome to provide written submissions to the committee. Submissions are accepted until November 14, 2008.
Final Report
The Standing Committee on Government Operations will analyze and evaluate the findings of all steps undertaken during the review and will report back to the Legislative Assembly. The final report on the Official Languages Act review will be completed and tabled in the spring of 2009. This report will include the summaries of all review steps and the committee’s analysis and evaluation. The committee may make recommendations on how to improve the effectiveness, administration and implementation of the Official Languages Act.
Emerging Themes of the 2008–2009 Review
People are concerned about the dire situation of aboriginal languages in the Northwest Territories. They worry about the survival of their languages and how they can be kept alive as languages of everyday use. There is a great awareness of the connection between language and cultural identity and that language loss has non-reversible impacts on the culture and identity of aboriginal peoples of the Northwest Territories.
The intergenerational gap of language and traditional knowledge is growing to an extent never seen before. Elders describe this gap as a total communication breakdown, because their grandchildren no longer speak the same language.
People are also disillusioned and frustrated with the lack of accountability for implementing government commitments relating to official languages.
The lack of interpreter/translators in the health and justice systems, the lack of adequate training for these interpreters and the need for on-going terminology development and standardization in an ever-changing modern environment was brought to the standing committee’s attention in every community.
Mr. Speaker, I’ll ask my colleague Mr. Krutko to continue. Thank you.