WHEREAS the Northwest Territories Official Languages Act recognizes nine Aboriginal languages as official languages, including: Chipewyan, Cree, Gwich’in, Inuinnaqtun, Inuktitut, Inuvialuktun, North Slavey, South Slavey and Tlicho, in addition to English and French;
AND WHEREAS Section 11 of the Northwest Territories Official Languages Act says, among other things, that any member of the public is entitled to communicate with and receive services from any regional or community Government of the Northwest Territories office in an Aboriginal language spoken in that region or community, where there is significant demand;
AND WHEREAS Aboriginal language speakers who are attempting to access government services such as medical treatment are sometimes forced to depend on relatives who speak their language, but who are not trained as interpreters and who cannot translate specialized terminology, resulting in worry and possible misinformation for patients;
AND WHEREAS the Government of the Northwest Territories formerly recognized the need for a central body to provide Aboriginal language services by establishing a territorial Language Bureau;
AND WHEREAS the Language Bureau served the people of the Northwest Territories for nearly 25 years, with expert interpreter-translators who conducted research on specialized terminology and writing systems, as well as providing interpreter-translator services;
AND WHEREAS the Language Bureau was disbanded in 1997, eliminating 20 positions which have never been replaced;
AND WHEREAS qualified interpreter-translators in private business are not always available in Northwest Territories communities;
AND WHEREAS there are no longer any formal training programs for interpreter-translators in the Northwest Territories;
AND WHEREAS there is no central body monitoring the quality of Aboriginal language interpretation and translation;
AND WHEREAS there is no central clearing house for research on specialized medical or legal terminology or writing systems;
AND WHEREAS the Standing Committee on Government Operations in its report tabled in this House on May 28, 2009, called for the establishment of a secretariat as a central agency to develop government services in the Aboriginal languages and conduct long-term planning;
AND WHEREAS the Government of the Northwest Territories in its Aboriginal Languages Plan tabled in this House on October 27, 2010, called for the establishment of a secretariat with responsibility for oversight of GNWT Aboriginal language services;
AND WHEREAS the Government of the Northwest Territories has now established a Secretariat for Francophone Affairs;
NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Nahendeh, that the Government of the Northwest Territories consult and develop interim measures to improve Aboriginal language services, with the full involvement of existing interpreter-translators in the Northwest Territories communities who speak different dialects;
AND FURTHER, that the Government of the Northwest Territories consult and develop interim measures to improve Aboriginal language services, with the full involvement of existing interpreter-translators in the Northwest Territories communities who speak different dialects;
AND FURTHER, that the Government of the Northwest Territories seek such additional funds as may be required for the secretariat for Aboriginal language services from the federal government, as a matter of urgent necessity and equity;
AND FURTHERMORE, that the government provide a comprehensive response to this motion within 120 days.